Paper Category: Experimental
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High-Speed Optical Communications for CubeSats: End-to-End Terminal Demonstration and BER Performance Characterisation
Free-space optical communication (FSOC) is increasingly considered for small satellites because it can provide significantly higher data rates than RF while remaining compatible with strict size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. This capability is attractive for Earth-observation and science missions where downlink volume is a limiting factor. Despite this potential, CubeSat-class optical terminals are challenging…
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Development and On-Orbit Operation of a Reliable CubeSat Platform for Testing Korean-Manufactured EEE Parts: EEETester
The Republic of Korea has been actively promoting the development of domestically manufactured electronic components, including semiconductor memory devices as well as active and passive components, through sustained national R&D initiatives. Despite this progress, the adoption of these components in space missions has been limited due to insufficient space heritage. In contrast, spacecraft subsystems utilizing…
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KLARA: A Miniaturized, Low-Cost Capsule for satellite reentry study
KLARA is a miniaturized, low-cost re-entry capsule designed to capture critical aerothermodynamic and attitude data from satellites during atmospheric re-entry. By leveraging an iterative test-driven approach and Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components, KLARA aims to optimize performance while minimizing costs, paving the way for more accessible space debris monitoring and re-entry studies. Iterative Development Approach Inspired…
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NarSha – Korea’s First Spaceborne Methane Monitoring Mission Using a Hyperspectral Microsatellite Constellation
Methane (CH₄) is a significant driver of climate change, responsible for approximately 30% of global warming since industrialization and exhibiting a global warming potential over 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO₂) on a 20-year timescale. Despite its impact, methane emissions remain highly uncertain due to systematic underreporting, particularly in the oil and…
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The Final Barrier to High-Performance Computing in Space: Architectures for Mitigating Catastrophic Radiation Effects
The increasing ambition of commercial and institutional space missions is driving demand for onboard computing capabilities far beyond traditional spacecraft avionics. Applications such as orbital data centers, large satellite constellations, autonomous mission operations, and real time data processing increasingly depend on high performance GPUs, advanced processors, high density solid state storage, and complex commercial electronic…
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Lesson Learned in the Operation of a CubeSat ADCS in the Presence of Sensor Anomaly
Small satellites and CubeSats often employ commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components to achieve cost effectiveness, but these components are prone to anomalies that may jeopardize mission success. It is thus desired to learn from operational experience for continuous improvement. In the paper, lessons learned from the operation of the Lilium-1 CubeSat attitude determination and control subsystem…