Development of Telemetry Ranging for Small Satellites: A Ranging technique for Delfi-PQ

Small satellite systems such as CubeSats and PocketQubes have strict requirements in terms of size, weight, and power available onboard. In light of these constraints, small satellite systems typically omit the inclusion of a ranging system due to its power and specialized hardware requirements. However, new research in satellite ranging...

A Novel Onboard Georeferencing System for Small Satellites: Enabling Real-Time Localized Insights

While image-based georeferencing systems are widely available, none are designed for edge computing on board small satellites in space. Recent advances in autonomous data processing allow points of interest (POIs) to be identified in the captured images, enabling prioritization of data and reducing required downlink bandwidths. Directly...

Neural-Network Based Thermal Modeling of Small Satellites: A First-Principles Approach

The use of small satellites, enabled by the standardization of the CubeSat specifications and miniaturization in electronics, has seen a rapid increase in the past decades. The low-cost and short development time of these satellites has made them an attractive option for both commercial and academic applications, making space exploration more...

Use Reinforcement Learning to Generate Testing Commands for Onboard Software of Small Satellites

Programmers usually write test cases to test onboard software. However, this procedure is time-consuming and needs sufficient prior knowledge. As a result, small satellite developers may not be able to test the software thoroughly. <br/> <br/>A promising direction to solve this problem is reinforcement learning (RL) based testing. It searches...

Microvibration test bench for tiny reaction wheels

Reaction wheels are often the main contributor to microvibrations on satellites. These vibrations are a source of pointing errors and therefore need to be limited as much as possible. The miniaturization trend in the space industry and universities fostered the production of very small reaction wheels, suited to Cubesat and PocketQube scales. A...

Introduce StarDetect to market: A roadmap towards small satellite application in Smart Tourism

The aerospace industry's global market rise considerably in recent years. StarDetect, founded in Beijing in 2020, is a startup focusing on small satellite technology, developing functional payloads and providing customised services within the needs of space astronomy or earth geography observation. However, due to the relatively short and...

Design optimization of a novel inter-satellite downlink for small satellites to (mega-)constellations

Low downlink data rates limit the scientific and commercial return from small satellites. Now with constellations of small satellites becoming popular, the amount of data generated in low Earth orbit will be greater than ever. A novel data downlink architecture for small satellites is investigated that uses non-geostationary orbit (mega-...

Necessity of non-rigid body models for launch vehicles

In previous research, the necessity of non-rigid body simulators was stated to be a requirement for long, slender bodies. However, it remains unclear for which vehicle design parameters non-rigid body effects become destabilising. A set of 2+N linearly independent equations of motions can be combined in a single matrix to determine the motion of...

Geodetic parameter estimation for small-satellite small-body missions: An uncertainty-driven approach

This thesis work has been motivated by the growing interest in small-spacecraft small-body missions and more specifically inspired by a proposed mission to the largest Martian Trojan (5261) Eureka. This binary asteroid represents a promising target for a planetary mission, as a better understanding of its formation and evolution would provide...

A cost-effective avionics architecture to achieve high availability in small satellites

Passive louver mechanism for small satellites

A miniaturisation trend in the satellite technology is clearly observable. The new generation of small satellites experiences very large thermal fluctuations, due to their high performance payload and low mass. Contemporary thermal control systems, applicable to small satellites, are mostly characterised by having either an insulative or a...