Paper Category: Technology
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An ML-Driven Mission Planning Pipeline for SmallSat Radiation Mitigation
As the democratization of space increases the number of amateur and university-led SmallSat missions, there is a growing need for accessible mission planning tools that simplify complex orbital mechanics and the impact of space weather on spacecraft. A critical parameter for mission longevity is the Earth’s magnetotail; a region on the night-side of the Earth…
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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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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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Delivering Smallsat in a few weeks: Advancing Responsive Space Capabilities with Scalable Platforms
Responsive Space marks a fundamental shift in the way space-based services are developed, launched and operated. This evolution toward more adaptive architectures is driven by the growing need for rapid delivery, cost efficiency, and technical competitiveness in both commercial and military domains, at a pace that conflict with legacy satellite development processes, making the traditional…
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Integrated Cyberattack Detection for Satellites
Next-generation satellites are evolving into highly interconnected cyber-physical platforms, where heterogeneous subsystems, widespread adoption of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components, and emerging multi-tenant payload paradigms fundamentally reshape the spacecraft threat landscape. These trends erode traditional trust assumptions and necessitate autonomous onboard cybersecurity mechanisms capable of detecting, localising, and mitigating attacks without reliance on continuous ground intervention.…
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Payload Data Delivery Solutions and Optimisation for GSaaS Operations
As satellite constellations grow in scale and diversity, efficient payload data delivery has become a critical bottleneck in Ground Segment as a Service (GSaaS) architectures. This paper investigates various payload data delivery methods and presents optimisation strategies tailored to operational requirements and mission profiles. We systematically analyze multiple delivery paradigms including real-time streaming protocols (TCP/IP,…
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Hardware Security Subsystem for On-board Cybersecurity
Fuelled by the New Space economy, there is a critical demand for enhanced cybersecurity in satellites, a necessity that is increasingly recognised yet remains challenging to meet due to resource constraints, system complexity, and maintenance costs. Robust security implementations across individual satellite subsystems traditionally require specialised cryptographic expertise, costly maintenance of the cryptographic software stack,…
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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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Beyond Monolithic Ground Systems: Building Adaptive, Interoperable Ecosystems for Commercial Space
Modern space missions are becoming increasingly diverse, rapidly evolving, and commercially driven. As a result, mission operators face an operational landscape where no single ground system can meet all requirements throughout the mission lifecycle. Each mission requires a unique combination of capabilities, including command and control, planning, ground station orchestration, flight dynamics, collision avoidance, and…
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Are the Clouds Clearing on the Ground? Redesigning Ground Segments for Secure Constellations
Cloud-native ground segments have played a central role in enabling scalability, flexibility, and automation for modern satellite constellations. By leveraging elastic infrastructure and cloud-based services, operators have been able to support increasingly complex missions with smaller teams and shorter development cycles. However, cloud-native design is often implicitly equated with cloud-dependent deployment, a coupling that is…