Paper Category: Scientific
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BOREALIS: Phase-B Results of a Dual-Orbit 6U CubeSat for In-Orbit Biofilm Radiation Experiments
BOREALIS (Biofilm Onboard Radiation Exposure Assessment Lab In Space) is a 6U CubeSat mission developed under the Italian Space Agency (ASI) ALCOR program, aimed at enabling controlled biological experimentation across multiple radiation environments in space. The mission adopts an innovative dual-phase orbital concept, performing biofilm exposure experiments first in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and subsequently…
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ESA Scout HydroGNSS Early Mission Results
The ESA Scout HydroGNSS mission, launched in December 2025 will provide measurements of key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and wetlands, and above-ground biomass, using a novel technique called Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry. According to GCOS there is a shortage of high-quality soil moisture data, a key…
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Robust Trajectory Optimization and Control for Autonomous Small Satellite Terminal Proximity Operations under Uncertainty
This research presents a robust guidance and control architecture for SmallSat terminal proximity operations, focusing on the transition from rendezvous to final docking. As autonomous in-space servicing and assembly become mission-critical, GNC systems must maintain centimeter-level accuracy while respecting strict hardware and safety constraints in the presence of state and model uncertainties. The methodology utilizes…
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Ensuring Orbital Safety from T-0: The Critical Imperative for Immediate Post-Launch Collision Avoidance
As the density of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment increases, driven by frequent rideshare missions and the deployment of mega-constellations, the initial phase of satellite operations has emerged as a period of heightened orbital risk. Historically, collision avoidance (COLA) processes have relied on established tracking by Space Situational Awareness (SSA) providers. However, this study…
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ALIGN Mission: Radio Intersatellite Link Feasibility Demonstration for Hybrid Free-Space Optical Communications
The ALIGN (Autonomous Laser-based Intersatellite Gigabit Network) mission comprises a pair of 6U CubeSats equipped with FOCUS (Free-space Optical Communications Unit for Space), an experimental payload demonstrating high-data-rate optical intersatellite links in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and advanced hybrid optical/radio intersatellite communications. Each satellite implements a dual RF-link architecture: the Radio Ground-to-Satellite Link (RGSL) for…
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L-FIRE: A Distributed Aperture CubeSat Radio Telescope
The Low-Frequency Interferometric Radio Explorer (L-FIRE) is a proposed space-based mission concept designed to unlock the low-frequency radio spectrum (1–40 MHz). Regimes below 10 MHz are of particular interest, as they are largely inaccessible from the ground due to ionospheric opacity. L-FIRE will deploy a distributed interferometric observatory composed of 10 or more CubeSats, each…
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Moonraker: De-Risking Lunar Landing Sites with High Resolution LiDAR
With renewed international interest in returning mankind to the Moon, safely landing both robotic and manned landers on the rough surface has become a critical challenge. Hazards such as small boulders, craters, and slopes can easily tip a lander and are often not visible in current elevation maps of the Moon. Today’s best topographic data…
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CROMIS – The case for an orbital H-alpha solar telescope
Monitoring of the Sun and space weather is becoming increasingly important, with applications ranging from satellite and astronaut safety to GNSS reliability and power grid operations. The chromosphere, a complex and dynamic layer of the Sun’s atmosphere best visible in the H-alpha spectral line, holds significant information for resolving open questions like coronal heating and…
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Mission-level differential drag control for formation flying of 6U CubeSats through automated management of rule-based and power-budget modes.
The operational success of inter-satellite laser link (ISL) missions in CubeSat constellations depends on the strict management of conflicting requirements: energy harvesting, high-precision payload targeting, and orbital maintenance. This paper presents an automated onboard mission logic designed to manage the relative distance of a two-satellite 6U in formation flight (ranging from 100 km to 1000…
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AI-Based Navigation for Lunar Satellites in VLLO
This paper presents the design and preliminary validation of the Lunar Intelligent Navigation via Neural Architecture (LINNA) payload, a technology demonstration integrated into the SelenITA mission—Brazil’s first lunar CubeSat. The experiment is motivated by the future needs for autonomous state estimation in the Very Low Lunar Orbit (VLLO) regime, where Mascon-induced gravitational anomalies challenge traditional…