Paper Category: Simulation, Modeling
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OLAF: a Swarm of SmallSats for Active Debris Removal by Space-based Laser Ablation
Small debris objects (1 mm–10 cm) pose a considerable risk to active spacecraft, potentially causing mission-critical damage as they can reach relative impact velocities of 15 km/s in LEO. ESA’s latest Space Environment Report estimates more than 140 million objects in this size range residing in LEO, the majority of which cannot be tracked by…
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Resilient IP Distribution Techniques for SmallSat and Hybrid Space–Ground Architectures
SmallSat missions frequently rely on space–ground communication paths that are asymmetric, multicast-oriented, intermittently available, or intentionally unidirectional. Many SmallSat and LEO architectures operate under tighter power, antenna size, and link-budget constraints than traditional GEO systems, and may rely on shorter contact windows, which can contribute to lower signal-to-noise ratios, burst packet loss, and limited or…
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INTERNET PROTOCOL ROUTING IN CIS-LUNAR SPACE
Over the last five years, integrating space systems into the global Internet paradigm has advanced significantly. Space constellations and networks are now commonplace; however, current implementations remain limited to networks managed as single terrestrially orchestrated systems or orchestrated hybrid mixtures of interacting space networks. This centralized orchestration approach constrains autonomous operations, requires continuous ground station…
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Air-Bearing-Based Evaluation of Reaction Wheel Micro-Vibrations and Their Impact on Small Satellite Pointing Stability
High-performance imaging satellite missions require exceptional pointing stability to ensure image quality and geometric fidelity. This stability is often degraded by micro-vibrations originating from reaction wheels, which propagate through the spacecraft structure and induce line-of-sight (LoS) jitter. Although force-torque measurements are commonly used to characterise these disturbances at component level, relating them to spacecraft-level pointing…
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Optimisation of star tracker orientation and attitude trajectories for space-to-ground optical communication on CubeSats
Optical communication systems promise a step-change in data return capability for CubeSats but introduce exceptionally demanding pointing requirements. In some cases, sub-milliradian level pointing of the satellite is required to successfully acquire a laser signal from the ground. This is further complicated by the relatively high angular velocities and angular accelerations of the satellite-to-ground target…
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Parametric Study of Deorbit Sail Sizes for Small Satellites
The need for reliable and scalable post-mission disposal solutions is inevitable for small satellite missions in Low Earth Orbit. For spacecrafts without onboard propulsion system passive, fail-safe deorbit technologies can be essential to ensure compliance with orbital lifetime mitigation requirements. Deorbit systems using dragsails provide a robust approach and limited operational complexity without propellants, active…
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A Coupled Analytical-Simulation Approach to Redundant Small Spacecraft AOCS
Missions including close-proximity operations and docking (CPOD) as well as in-orbit servicing are redefining the capabilities of small spacecraft. As a result, attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS) requirements have evolved to include not only attitude maintenance, but also 6-DoF translation and rotation. Cold-gas thruster arrays are key to these capabilities, but optimising their design…
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Autonomous FSM Architecture for Commissioning and Differential Drag Control in CubeSat Formations
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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Broadband vibration isolation in a deployable telescopic baffle exploiting post-buckling thrust tube dynamics
Stray light suppression is a primary consideration for high-performance optical instruments, yet the necessary baffle dimensions often conflict with launch volume restrictions. Existing solutions necessitate a trade-off: motorised telescopic mechanisms provide structural rigidity but incur significant mass, complexity and cost penalties. Flexible deployable shrouds, whilst volumetrically efficient, lack the deterministic geometry required for high-precision optical…
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Catalysing Next Generation Solutions with Scalable Model-Based Software
Small satellite missions increasingly rely on software-defined payloads, onboard data processing, and automated mission operations, to meet performance, responsiveness, and cost constraints. In practice, payload software development, integration and test (I&T) and operations are often supported by fragmented toolchains spanning flight, ground, and payload domains, leading to duplicated effort, reduced reusability and increased operational risk.…