Related papers: Optical Navigation for Interplanetary CubeSats
The recent discovery of the first confirmed Interstellar Objects (ISOs) passing through the Solar System on clearly hyperbolic objects opens the potential for near term ISO missions, either to the two known objects, or to similar objects…
Earth observation (EO) missions traditionally rely on transmitting raw or minimally processed imagery from satellites to ground stations for computationally intensive analysis. This paradigm is infeasible for CubeSat systems due to…
The miniaturization of electronic and mechanical components has allowed for an unprecedented downscaling of spacecraft size and mass. Today, spacecraft with a mass between 1 to 10 grams, AttoSats, have been developed and operated in space.…
In a free space optical (FSO) communication link from satellite to ground, the losses in the channel will be dynamic. Thus, the characterization of the FSO channel is of great importance and this can be emulated in the lab to evaluate the…
Natural (such as lunar) occultations have long been used to study sources on small angular scales, while coronographs have been used to study high contrast sources. We propose launching the Big Occulting Steerable Satellite (BOSS), a large…
Space exploration has witnessed a steady increase since the 1960s, with Mars playing a significant role in our quest for further knowledge. As the ambition to colonize Mars becomes a reality through the collaboration of private companies…
The prospect of mankind returning to the Moon has garnered a great amount of attention in recent years. Dozens of lunar missions are planned for the coming decade which will require the development of a sustainable communication…
Cubesats present unique opportunities for observational astronomy in the modern era. They are useful in observing difficult-to-access wavelength regions and long-term monitoring of interesting astronomical sources. However, conventional…
The recent explosive growth of small satellite operations driven primarily from an academic or pedagogical need, has demonstrated the viability of commercial-off-the-shelf technologies in space. They have also leveraged and shown the need…
Aerocapture is a maneuver which uses aerodynamic drag to slow down a spacecraft in a single pass through the atmosphere. All planetary orbiters to date have used propulsive orbit insertion. Aerocapture is a promising alternative, especially…
Coronagraphs on future space telescopes will require precise wavefront correction to detect Earth-like exoplanets near their host stars. High-actuator count microelectromechanical system (MEMS) deformable mirrors provide wavefront control…
A satellite internet provider (e.g., Starlink, OneWeb, O3b mPOWER), despite possessing the capability to provide internet services to on-ground users in a global scale, can dramatically change the way space missions are designed and…
The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory, or HabEx, has been designed to be the Great Observatory of the 2030s. For the first time in human history, technologies have matured sufficiently to enable an affordable space-based telescope mission…
Satellite imaging is a critical technology for monitoring and responding to natural disasters such as flooding. Despite the capabilities of modern satellites, there is still much to be desired from the perspective of first response…
As humanity prepares for new missions to the Moon and Mars, astronauts will need to operate with greater autonomy, given the communication delays that make real-time support from Earth difficult. For instance, messages between Mars and…
CubeSats offer a cost-effective platform for various space missions, but their limited fuel capacity and susceptibility to environmental disturbances pose significant challenges for precise orbital maneuvering. This paper presents a novel…
This paper presents innovative solutions to critical challenges in planetary and deep-space exploration electronics. We synthesize findings across diverse mission profiles, highlighting advances in: (1) MARTIAN positioning systems with…
Interstellar objects (ISOs) are small bodies that can travel through our solar system from other star systems. When present in our solar system, they represent an opportunity to study the properties and origins of these objects, as well as…
This study aims to analyze Phobos' photometric properties using Mars Express mission observations to support the Martian Moons eXploration mission. We analyzed resolved images of Phobos acquired between 2004 and 2022 by the HRSC and the SRC…
Interstellar objects (ISOs) are likely representatives of primitive materials invaluable in understanding exoplanetary star systems. Due to their poorly constrained orbits with generally high inclinations and relative velocities, however,…