Paper Category: Engineering
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Perovskite Solar Cells: In-Orbit Assessment
The increasing demand for long-duration and cost-efficient small satellite missions is driving the need for power technologies beyond conventional silicon photovoltaics. Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) offer high specific power and mechanical flexibility. Notably, recent terrestrial studies on PSCs have demonstrated promising self-healing properties under controlled bias. However, their behaviour under space conditions remains largely unverified.…
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High-Agile Spacecraft with Flexible Appendages: Limits, Risks, and Mitigation
Modern Earth-observation missions increasingly rely on high-agility retargeting to maximise target acquisitions. At the same time, new-generation spacecraft are adopting larger, lightweight, and lightly damped appendages such as high-power solar arrays and deployable SAR antennas, which introduce low-frequency flexible dynamics and tighter slew-and-settle constraints. The combined trend raises a central question for mission design: how…
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Rocket Lab’s Enabling Capabilities for Affordable Science Missions
As global priorities shift toward sovereign rapid-response space systems, Rocket Lab addresses the barriers of high cost and long lead times through vertical integration. By controlling the mission lifecycle from launch via Electron and Neutron to in-house satellite manufacturing, Rocket Lab enables partners to move from concept to orbit with unprecedented agility. While Rocket Lab…
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Tiny Telescope: Monolithic Diffraction-Limited Imaging
The Tiny Telescope is a compact, fully integrated monolithic telescope, designed to address the stringent volume, mass, and alignment constraints of small satellite missions. By integrating refractive and reflective optical surfaces, internal baffles, and structural features within a single optical element, the Tiny Telescope eliminates the need for complex multi-element assemblies and post-integration alignment. This…
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Flywheel Energy Storage as an Alternative for Chemical Batteries in Small LEO Satellites: Feasibility and Attitude Impact
Given the rapidly increasing number of satellites, mainly driven by the deployment of large constellations, manufacturers are under growing pressure to innovate in order to reduce both costs and environmental impact. In this context, the present work investigates the feasibility of replacing chemical batteries on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites with mechanical storage systems based…
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DANTE: A Spaceborne Radar Constellation for Debris Detection and Tracking
Space debris poses a growing threat to the sustainability and safety of space operations, with increasing collision risks for satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Current ground based radar systems are limited in detecting small objects leaving a critical gap in monitoring capabilities. This work introduces DANTE (Detection ANd Tracking of space dEbris), a spaceborne…
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Multiclass Satellite Payload for SAR
This work investigates a multiclass spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload architecture aimed at enabling distributed and scalable Earth Observation missions using NanoSats and/or MicroSats in cooperative satellite swarms. The proposed architecture addresses the challenge of achieving high performance SAR imaging within the inherent mass, volume and power constraints of small satellites while supporting advanced…
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Modular approach for ensuring smallsat cybersecurity
Small satellites largely rely on rapid development cycles and distributed ground segment services while using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, which collectively introduce significant cybersecurity challenges. Constrained budgets, short mission timelines and limited onboard resources often prevent the adoption of security-by-design approaches traditionally used in larger space missions. Additionally, the use of COTS and standardized protocols…
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Arbosat – Enhanced wood for sustainable Space
Arbosat – Towards a new class of sustainable structural materials for small satellites based on enhanced wood After completing their missions, LEO satellites are typically deorbited to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. However, aluminum, one of the most widely used structural materials for small satellites, undergoes chemical reactions during thermal decomposition that may adversely affect…
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Modular, Serviceable and Demisable Small Satellites: Engineering a Resilient European Space Defence Architecture
Europe’s defence, security, and critical-infrastructure missions are becoming increasingly dependent on small satellite constellations for communications, ISR, navigation resilience and environmental awareness. Yet most small satellites are still engineered as disposable assets, creating strategic fragility, rising replacement costs, and growing orbital sustainability risks. This paper presents a new engineering doctrine for small satellites based on…