100039 research outputs found
Sort by
Unikernels: A New Paradigm for Secure, Scalable, and Efficient Small Satellite Operations
No full textPoster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference
From Classroom to Orbit: How a High School Girls-In-STEM Club Started the Journey of Pleiades Orpheus
Get PDFStudents from Irvington High School in Fremont, California built and launched a 1U CubeSat satellite called Pleiades Orpheus after its establishment in 2022. This project was a central part of the Irvington High School Girls-in-STEM Club and is among the few high school student-run programs globally to design, build, and successfully launch a satellite. The Pleiades Orpheus team strived to increase gender diversity in their student body, eventually leading them to form IHS Women in Satellite Engineering (IHS WiSE) in 2024.
This paper will showcase the central goals and progress of the team, highlighting their most important goal: to make engineering more accessible to students. By addressing women as a historically marginalized group in engineering fields, and by fostering this passion from a young age, the initiative hopes to make a direct impact on this issue.
An account of mentorship from students from the Bronco Space program from California Polytechnic State University Pomona, the PolySat team from California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo), and the Stanford Student Space Initiative from Stanford University is given. The discussion will emphasize how high schoolers navigated technical and logistical challenges enhancing their engineering, problem-solving, program management, and collaborative skills. Their 1U CubeSat, Pleiades Orpheus, was intended to detect light pollution across North America, applying scientific innovation to environmental research. The discussion will then entail the successful CubeSat launch, made on December 21, 2024.
Finally, the paper will close with the broader implications and future plans for the Irvington High School Women in Satellite Engineering (IHS WiSE) initiative. The achievement represents a pioneering milestone in high school education, advancing the accessibility of CubeSat development for future generations of young women
InnoCube – First In-Orbit Results of the Fully Wireless Satellite Data Bus
No full textThe Innovative CubeSat for Education (InnoCube) mission is a technology demonstration CubeSat that relies entirely on a wireless data bus for intra satellite communication. It was launched in January 2025 onboard SpaceX Transporter-12. This paper presents the mission objectives and initial results, with a particular focus on the performance and reliability of the wireless system.
InnoCube is a collaborative project between the University of Wuerzburg and Technische Universität Berlin in Germany. Its primary objectives are to demonstrate the feasibility of a fully wireless data bus for intra-satellite communication, provide a testbed for new technologies, and offer students hands-on experience in CubeSat design and operations. The spacecraft is a 3U CubeSat, incorporating a wireless data bus based on time-division multiple access (TDMA) and carrying a suite of payloads provided by TU Berlin. By eliminating traditional wiring, the wireless data bus aims to reduce mass, complexity, and integration challenges, making it particularly attractive for larger satellite platforms.
Firstly, the paper provides an overview of the satellite’s design, including its avionics, wireless communication system, and payloads. Then, it presents the results of ongoing operations, with a particular emphasis on the performance and reliability of the wireless data bus. Following this, the challenges encountered during the mission are discussed. Additionally, insights gained from operating the satellite over unreliable telemetry and telecommand (TM/TC) links are presented, along with recommendations for improving spacecraft communication design. Finally, the paper explores the broader implications and open research questions for future missions employing wireless intra-satellite communication, highlighting both its advantages and limitations compared to traditional wired systems
Review of Microgravity Biotechnology for Space Applications: The AnuJiva Perspective
Get PDFBiomanufacturing in microgravity presents transformative opportunities for biotechnology beyond the limitations of terrestrial environments. Gravity-driven convection, sedimentation, and contamination risks often hinder biological productivity on Earth. In contrast, space-based conditions enhance protein crystallization, three-dimensional cell culture, and the production of novel biomaterials. This review synthesizes recent advancements in microgravity-enabled biotechnology, drawing from recent peer-reviewed literature and mission data.
We focus on the emerging field of autonomous bioreactor systems for space applications, emphasizing innovations in miniaturization, closed-loop environmental control, and real-time sensing. As a representative case study, we examine the AnuJIVA initiative, a CubeSat-based platform engineered for cultivating microorganisms such as microalgae and cyanobacteria in low Earth orbit. AnuJIVA integrates a microfluidic bioreactor with autonomous decision-making, precision nutrient delivery, and robust contamination resistance, reflecting the broader trend toward scalable and sustainable space biomanufacturing.
This review does not report original experimental results but instead consolidates findings from ISS experiments, clinostat-based analog studies, and recent developments in aerospace biotechnology. By analyzing trends in bioreactor design, payload integration, and life support applications, we identify key challenges and future directions, particularly for pharmaceutical development, regenerative medicine, and long-duration space missions.
Space biomanufacturing is transitioning from research to applied industry, driven by public-private collaboration and advances in automation. The insights presented here aim to inform ongoing research, system development, and strategic planning for scalable biotechnology platforms in space
The Final Girl Without the Slasher: Final Girls, Gender, and Community in \u3ci\u3ePsych\u3c/i\u3e
Get PDFThis thesis focuses on the “Final Girl” trope, a hallmark of slasher films of the 1970s and 1980s, as it appears in detective procedural television show Psych to analyze what changes in the trope’s usage says about broader changes in American culture. I engage with two key episodes, “Scary Sherry: Bianca’s Toast” and “Tuesday the 17th,” which contain the program’s most direct engagements with the Final Girl trope. Ultimately, I conclude that Psych rejects the hyperindividualism embedded in the Final Girl and some of the trope’s more binary gender norms, while also failing to interrogate other aspects of the mythical norm such as race and (dis)ability which are also embedded in the Final Girl trope
FIGARO (5G Phased Array Antenna for Lunar Relay Operations) High-Altitude Balloon Flight Test
Get PDFNASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program has outlined lunar internet (LunaNet) requirements for beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications between lunar surface assets. These requirements include providing a Ka-band, high-resolution video link to relay between a dynamically moving Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) and stationary lunar habitat or Human Landing System (HLS). The NASA 5G Array for Lunar Relay Operation (FIGARO) project’s aim is to demonstrate this architecture using a High-Altitude Balloon (HAB) hosting an active phased array (APA) antenna bent-pipe relay system to communicate between two ground terminals using 5G FR2 band beamforming integrated circuits. Fundamental objectives for this demonstration are successfully tracking the position of each terminal, establishing communications links between ground users via HAB relay, streaming high-resolution video, and transferring of \u3e 100 MB of data between ground users. The successful demonstration of FIGARO’s flight payload shows this architecture is viable to meet LunaNet requirements for communication between lunar surface users without line-of-sight conditions
Under-Actuated Target Tracking Performance - Flight Results From the GHGSat-D Spacecraft
Get PDFThe GHGSat-D spacecraft, a precursor demonstration to GHGSat’s commercial constellation, was launched on June 21 2016 into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit with altitude 507 km and local time of descending node 10:30. The spacecraft successfully demonstrated GHGSat’s novel payload’s ability to measure and monitor precise greenhouse gas emissions from low Earth orbit. Such measurements were enabled by custom target tracking maneuvers allowing its imaging spectrometer to pan across ground targets of interest at prescribed rates. In July 2017 one of its three reaction wheels exhibited signs of high friction, resulting in its discontinued use. With only two functional reaction wheels and a set of three orthogonal air-core magnetorquers, the spacecraft control authority was greatly reduced and this created a challenge to continue nominal operations. This prompted development of new flight control software and operational strategies to allow the spacecraft to continue to fulfill its mission until the end of its orbital lifetime when it passively de-orbited due to the influence of atmospheric drag on December 9, 2024. A particular challenge to overcome was that magnetorquers were designed only for momentum unloading, not for direct attitude control; the magnetorquers had less than 1% the torque capability of the reaction wheels. In this paper we describe the flight implementation of the control laws to enable under-actuated operations, and demonstrate how well they worked in practice with several case studies supported by on-orbit telemetry. We examine both nominal attitude modes (e.g., nadir-tracking) and payload target tracking modes. We also discuss operational aspects such as target setup methodology – predicting the expected control authority as a function of target location on the Earth, and customizing the momentum control set points in order to ensure the highest chance of success for a given observation. With the new strategies in place, close to 80% of planned target tracking observations could be performed successfully, greatly extending the life and utility of the mission by an additional 7 years
Exploring the Long-Term Impact of Dating and Family Violence on American Indian Youth and Adults: The Role of Belongingness in Moderating Negative Effects
Get PDFExposure to violence during childhood and adolescence is an important issue, particularly among Native Americans, who experience violence at higher rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups. This early exposure to violence can significantly affect future physical and mental health outcomes—including depression, substance abuse, suicide attempts, obesity, and premature death—while also shaping subsequent relationships in adulthood. Though widely studied in the general population, research focused on American Indians is lacking, with cultural contexts and factors uniquely shaping the experiences of those affected. In AI/AN communities, belongingness is important for well-being and, as such, is a relevant cultural factor that calls for further exploration. Our research utilizes the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health dataset. Study 1 explores how dating violence experienced during grades 8-12 affects future romantic relationships in adulthood (ages 18-27 and 24-32), specifically as it relates to perpetration and victimization, and explores if family and school belongingness buffers the effects of violence on these later romantic relationships. Study 2 explores how family and dating violence experienced during grades 8-12 affects mental health in adulthood (i.e., depression and suicidality; ages 18-27). This study explores if childhood belongingness (i.e., family, school, sports, and other extracurriculars) buffers these relationships.
Findings suggest that TDV in youth does not relate to adult IPV victimization or perpetration in this study, and family and school belongingness do not moderate the effect of TDV on the outcomes (perpetration/victimization) with the exception of school belongingness for males who had not experienced TDV, in which school belongingness was protective against victimization in adulthood for those males. For females, family belongingness seems to be a protective factor against both IPV victimization and perpetration in adulthood. For mental health, youth exposure to violence showed no direct effect on depression or suicidality, but family and school belongingness reduced depression and suicidality among females and depression among males. Belongingness was not found to buffer the relationship between childhood violence and mental health outcomes. The results indicate that belongingness is a protective factor among AI/AN participants, though it doesn\u27t neutralize violence\u27s effects. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of violence and belongingness in AI/AN communities, emphasizing sex differences and protective factors for future investigation
Beyond the Click: Investigating Mental Models, Targeted Attacks, And Behavioral Interventions Against Clickbait
Get PDFClickbait is misleading or exaggerated content on social media that tricks people into clicking on links by making them curious. For instance, posts that use headlines such as “This is the worst day to visit a restaurant”. These clickbait posts can lead to fake news, wrong information, and even harmful websites. Even though many people know clickbait can be risky, they often still fall for it. Existing tools to stop clickbait don’t always consider how people think, the situations they are in, or their different needs. This research looks at how people understand and react to clickbait, and develops different ways to protect them through four studies. The first study explores how users think about clickbait and finds many common misunderstandings that make people more likely to be tricked and less likely to pay attention to warnings. The second study focuses on clickbait that uses personal information in social media to make posts more convincing. The third study looks at teenagers, who are especially vulnerable to clickbait but often left out of safety research. By involving teens in designing solutions, it was found that peer pressure matters a lot and that teens prefer helpful advice over strict rules. The fourth study examines clickbait in short videos like reels and stories. These formats encourage quick, impulsive viewing, making it easier to fall for clickbait. In the study, new strategies were developed that fit the fast nature of these videos and help users stay cautious. Together, these studies offer practical tools to keep people safe from clickbait across different social media content and user groups
An Investigation of the Influence of Professional Learning Communities on the Professional Identity of Preservice Teachers as Instructors of Literacy
No full textPreparing future teachers is essential to ensuring student success, yet, traditional teacher education programs often lack opportunities for deep reflection and collaboration. This dissertation explored how Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)—structured groups where teachers collaborate and reflect on their practice—can support preservice teachers as they develop their professional identity. Over five months, we examined how participating in PLCs influenced preservice teachers\u27 ability to reflect on their teaching, collaborate with peers, and build confidence in their instructional abilities. Through surveys and interviews, we found that engaging in reflective discussions and peer support helped future teachers feel more prepared for the classroom. Additionally, this research reviews existing research on PLCs in teacher preparation and highlights recommendations to improve teacher training by integrating collaborative learning experiences. By strengthening professional growth during teacher preparation, PLCs can help new literacy educators enter the field with the skills and confidence needed to effectively support student learning