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AI-Based Orbit Propagation and Conjunction Screening for Improved Space Situational Awareness
No full textPoster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference
Advancing Real-Time GNSS Data Transmission and Education Through ATAK Integration at COSMIAC
No full textThis study showcases COSMIAC at the University of New Mexico (UNM), a leading center for configurable space microsystems and aerospace applications, as it integrates cutting-edge technologies to advance secure and efficient communication systems. Under the AFRL RAPID program, COSMIAC tested a novel architecture combining Azure Orbital Cloud Access (AOCA), the Azure Stack Edge Mini Rugged device, and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation to transmit real-time Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. The project also leveraged the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), a geospatial situational awareness tool, to demonstrate the operational utility of advanced data delivery and visualization systems. The results inform RAPID\u27s experimentation with future Space Data Network technologies capable of fully leveraging commercial capabilities. The ATAK platform, widely used for tactical military operations, is a powerful, sensor-agnostic tool for integrating, processing, and displaying data from diverse sources. In this project, COSMIAC utilized ATAK to provide real-time visualization of GNSS data, enhancing situational awareness and decision-making capabilities. Students and researchers configured ATAK to host and interpret GNSS data streams, demonstrating its ability to display live threat assessments, such as GNSS jamming or spoofing, in operationally relevant environments. The RAPID West laboratory at COSMIAC served as the hub for testing, with students actively participating in system setup, data validation, and performance optimization. Their work included integrating GNSS data sources with the Azure Stack Edge Mini Rugged device for local processing and encryption, followed by transmission via Starlink. This hands-on involvement not only enabled students to tackle real-world challenges in satellite communications and edge computing but also provided practical experience in utilizing ATAK for military-grade applications. The integration of ATAK added a critical layer to the project, enabling seamless visualization of transmitted GNSS data for immediate operational use. The project’s success demonstrates how commercial technologies like AOCA and Starlink can be adapted for defense applications, with capabilities such as secure data processing, robust satellite communication links, and system scalability. The flexible and modular design supports future enhancements, including the incorporation of additional sensors and cryptographic measures to meet stringent DoD requirements. Beyond its technical achievements, this initiative exemplifies COSMIAC’s commitment to combining education with innovation. By involving students in cutting-edge projects, the center provides a unique learning environment that prepares them for careers in aerospace technology while fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government. This work not only advances technical capabilities in space networking but also highlights the vital role of ATAK in enhancing situational awareness. It stands as a model for university-led programs that drive innovation, workforce development, and technological progress in the aerospace sector
ANGEL: An Architecture for Simplified AI/ML Implementation on Low-Power FPGAs for Small Satellites
Get PDFUtah State University has been developing a complier to ease burden of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to FPGAs for both low-power and accelerated computation purposes. This system called “Architecture and Network Generalization for Edge computing and Low-power applications” (ANGEL) is aimed at the problem of the growing volume of data collected by small satellites, combined with the increasing interest in AI/ML algorithms to process this data onboard. Executing modern AI/ML algorithms onboard small satellites in GPUs or CPUs demands significant power—often stretching the capabilities of small satellite platforms. FPGAs, particularly the MicroSemi Polar Fire series, provide a low-power solution to perform AI/ML computing on orbit. The primary drawback of FPGAs is the significant effort and time required to design and implement advanced algorithms. This work presents a modular architecture and accompanying compiler that creates custom pipelines to process data using hardware-accelerated modules. The compiler takes in an ONNX model, a standard file format for storing AI/ML algorithms, and decomposes the model into discrete operational steps. For each of these steps, a hardware engineer designs a hardware accelerated block to run that specific operation. The original ONNX model is then compiled into a set of instructions that execute the AI/ML algorithm using the predefined hardware blocks. These instruction and hardware operations are incorporated into the modular FPGA architecture. The paper presents the work at USU on the compiler and presents results of implementing test models on FPGA hardware along with the analyses the performance of the algorithms. ANGEL is being targeted to the USU Low-power Array for CubeSat Edge Computing Architecture, Algorithms, and Applications (LACE-C3A) hardware to support the execution of large AI/ML models on small satellites. This project is funded by the NASA University SmallSat Technology Partnership Program. LACE-C3A is a specialized FPGA-based edge computing platform designed to facilitate AI and ML processing on small satellites
End-to-End Lifecycle Testing With a High-Altitude Balloon
No full textMany small satellite mission failures could be prevented with further end-to-end testing in relevant environments. No test fully matches the spaceflight environment, but partial tests can still be valuable. We developed a high-altitude balloon system for testing our CubeSat radars
Alevi-Bektashi Ballads: Malady, Melody and Remedy
Get PDFThis research focuses on how ballads play a central role in the cultural and spiritual life of the Alevi-Bektashi community in Türkiye. These ballads, performed by folk poets known as aşık (minstrel) with the stringed instrument bağlama are the inseparable elements of their daily life and sacred rituals. As rooted in the path of Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam, and the teachings of 13th-century Sufi saint Haji Bektash Veli, Alevi-Bektashi ballads express shared emotions, struggles, and hopes. Therefore, my point of view argues that these ballads do more than preserve the Anatolian ballad tradition. They create a sense of collective understanding and emotional connection, which I call communal cognition. Through the ezgi (melody) of poetic lyrics of these ballads, Alevi-Bektashi people look for derman (remedy) for their gender, politics, and love-related dert (malady)
Conceptions of Climate Change Skepticism: A Phenomenographic Investigation on Perspectives From Climate Scientists and Climate Activists
No full textThis study addresses how climate change denial is understood by climate scientists and climate activists. This research also investigates what communication strategies addressing climate change denial are used by climate scientists and climate activists. Phenomenography was selected as a methodology to address the qualitative and quantitative aspects of this inquiry. Pre-recorded data from interviews with six climate scientists and six climate activists living in the Intermountain West were used as the data source. Interview transcripts were read, marked, and coded to identify how climate scientists and climate activists understood climate change denial. Five conceptions of climate change skepticism were identified in the data. Transcripts were then read, marked, and coded to identify strategies suggested by climate scientists and climate activists to address climate denial in others. Five communication strategies were identified in the interview data. Findings suggest that there is a statistically significant difference in the climate change skepticism conceptions held by climate scientists and those held by climate activists. Findings also suggest the role of the individual matters when describing and addressing climate denial in others. An important implication of this research is the usefulness of employing phenomenography as a methodology for environmental educational research. Another implication is that there are interactions among role, conception, and strategy. All three are linked, and this linkage needs to be considered to make professional learning with climate change communicators more effective
Operationalizing Camera-Based Hydrologic Monitoring With AI and Edge Computing: Towards Real-Time Water Level and Discharge Measurements
Get PDFMonitoring river water levels and flows is critical for managing water supplies, protecting against floods, supporting ecosystems, and informing infrastructure planning. However, traditional methods rely on sensors installed directly in rivers, which can be expensive, difficult to maintain, and vulnerable to damage—particularly in remote or hazardous locations. In many regions, limited budgets and access challenges result in large gaps in river monitoring networks.
This research explores an innovative alternative: using fixed cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor rivers from a distance. The approach allows for non-contact observation of water levels and flows by analyzing images captured by cameras installed along riverbanks. Deep learning models automatically identify the river surface in each image, and machine learning techniques convert these visual measurements into estimates of water level and river flow (discharge). This system eliminates the need for physical sensors in the water and can operate continuously and autonomously.
The method was tested at two river sites in northern Utah, representing different river types and environmental conditions. The results showed that the camera-based system could identify both seasonal flow patterns and rapid flow changes during hydrologic events with high accuracy compared to ground truth flow data. The technology was also successfully deployed on low-cost, energy-efficient computing devices, enabling real-time operation even in areas with limited internet connectivity.
By providing a low-cost, scalable, and resilient alternative to traditional monitoring, this AI-driven system can help expand hydrologic monitoring networks, particularly in underserved or data-sparse regions. It offers significant potential for enhancing flood forecasting, improving water management, and supporting climate resilience in communities around the world. As the impacts of climate change and growing water demands increase the need for reliable water data, camera-based monitoring systems present an exciting new tool to help meet this challenge
Perceptions of National Identity and Government Trust: The Effects of Migrant Education Policies in Thailand
No full textThis study looks at how government policies that shape national identity influence people\u27s trust in the federal government. Using Thailand as an example, it focuses on immigration policies and their effect on public trust, especially in a country with a strong sense of national identity. This research study specifically examines Thailand’s 2005 “Education for All” policy, which allowed immigrant children to attend public schools. This policy was seen by some as a challenge to national identity. The study investigates whether such policies impact how much people trust the government.
To measure this, the study compares changes in trust over for parents of school-aged children who may have interacted with immigrant communities. The research method, called a “difference-in-differences” approach, helps identify shifts in trust levels before and after the onset of the policy. The results show that the policy did not significantly change the level of trust among the group of people likely to be parents of school-aged children. This suggests that while efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity may lower satisfaction with certain governance sectors, they do not significantly impact trust in the federal government on a broader scale
Propelling the Future of Satellite Mobility: In-Orbit Demonstration of the GO-2 Electric Propulsion System
Get PDFAs satellite deployment accelerates across both commercial and institutional missions, the limitations of onboard propulsion, especially in SmallSats, are emerging as a key constraint in mission flexibility and sustainability. In 2023, more than 2,860 SmallSats were launched, accounting for 97% of all spacecraft and 63% of total orbital mass [1].
Despite this expansion, propulsion remains a critical constraint in the SmallSat development ecosystem. As of 2024, only 222 nanosatellites out of 2714 nanosatellites launched had confirmed onboard propulsion systems [5], limiting maneuverability, increasing deployment risks, and contributing to orbital debris. This gap reflects not a lack of technological capability, but a shortfall in scalable production capacity.
Propulsion systems are essential for orbit maintenance, collision avoidance, and end-of-life disposal. Failures in these subsystems can result in partial or complete mission loss [2]. Statistically, propulsion-related anomalies increased to 6.63% after five years in orbit [3].
Morpheus Space is addressing the challenges around the adoption of electric propulsion, its reliability, and industry supply by developing the GO-2 Electric Propulsion System and opening its mass production facility in Germany. GO-2\u27s modular architecture is engineered for functional redundancy and manufacturing scalability. Recently, GO-2 was successfully demonstrated in space during an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission with D-Orbit
Novel Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver for Characterization of Ionospheric Scintillation and Plasma Bubbles With a Cubesat Swarm
No full textIonospheric scintillation and equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) are phenomena related to turbulence and depletion in the plasmas in the ionosphere. EPBs are depletions in the plasma density in the equatorial region in the post-sunset period. These depletions can lead to turbulent irregularities in the amplitude and phase of communications signals, called scintillation. Scintillation also occurs in the polar regions, where it is caused by particle precipitation and convection. EPBs and scintillation in low- and high- latitudes both have an impact on the quality and availability of space-based communication and navigation systems which leads to a high demand for observations from science and operational users such as US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Space Force (USSF).
Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation (GNSS-RO) receivers on board Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft utilize navigation signals, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), to characterize ionospheric properties including EPBs and scintillation. A novel GNSS-RO receiver system is being developed to be deployed on a future coordinated swarm of nanosats in order to address scientific knowledge gaps around scintillation and EPBs.
The payload is designed utilizing mainly commercial off-the-shelf components commonly used on spacecraft navigation systems. The instrument is to be integrated onto 1.5U spacecraft and primarily focuses on measuring amplitude and phase scintillation. The mission would consist of a “swarm” of spacecraft, a key to the novel-ness of the mission. Numerous spacecraft would be launched simultaneously and then distributed into an overlapping sensor net, with all spacecraft capable of communicating and coordinating with one another on-orbit. This would create the ability to make 3D measurements of the location of scintillation (currently only 2D measurements can be made), the dimensional and temporal extent of EPBs, and potentially even perform localized tomography of scintillating regions. These measurements would represent a significant step forward in ionospheric knowledge, enhancing science, informing future operational mission architectures, and enhancing smallsat RO payload designs