Small satellites are enabling multisatellite missions that were not otherwise possible because of their small size and modular nature [1]. Multiple small satellites can be flown instead of a much bigger and costlier conventional satellite for distributed sensing applications such as atmospheric sampling, distributed antennas [2], and synthetic apertures [3,4]. Missions with multiple small satellites can deliver a comparable or greater mission capability than a monolithic satellite, but with significantly enhanced flexibility (adaptability, scalability, evolvability, and maintainability) and robustness (reliability, survivability, and fault tolerance) [1,5]. Small satellites that weigh less than 10 kg can be broadly classified into nanosatellites (mass between 1 and 10 kg), picosatellites (mass between 0.1 and 1 kg), and femtosatellites (mass less than 100 g) [1,6].

Review of Formation Flying and Constellation Missions Using Nanosatellites

Summary The space environment is still challenging but is becoming more and more attractive for an increasing number of entities. In the second half of the 20th century, a huge amount of funds was ...

/pdf/small-satellites-and-cubesats-survey-of-structures-1aqtregu8y.pdf

Small satellites and CubeSats: Survey of structures, architectures, and protocols

Active ionospheric experiments using high-power, high-frequency transmitters, “heaters”, to study plasma processes in the ionosphere and magnetosphere continue to provide new insights into understanding plasma and geophysical proceses. This review describes the heating facilities, past and present, and discusses scientific results from these facilities and associated space missions. Phenomena that have been observed with these facilities are reviewed along with theoretical explanations that have been proposed or are commonly accepted. Gaps or uncertainties in understanding of heating-initiated phenomena are discussed together with proposed science questions to be addressed in the future. Suggestions for improvements and additions to existing facilities are presented including important satellite missions which are necessary to answer the outstanding questions in this field.

/pdf/past-present-and-future-of-active-radio-frequency-2dhlfjxq6t.pdf

Past, Present and Future of Active Radio Frequency Experiments in Space

. The Daedalus mission has been proposed to the European Space
Agency (ESA) in response to the call for ideas for the Earth Observation
program's 10th Earth Explorer. It was selected in 2018 as one of
three candidates for a phase-0 feasibility study. The goal of the mission is
to quantify the key electrodynamic processes that determine the structure
and composition of the upper atmosphere, the gateway between the Earth's
atmosphere and space. An innovative preliminary mission design allows
Daedalus to access electrodynamics processes down to altitudes of 150 km and
below. Daedalus will perform in situ measurements of plasma density and
temperature, ion drift, neutral density and wind, ion and neutral
composition, electric and magnetic fields, and precipitating particles. These
measurements will unambiguously quantify the amount of energy deposited in
the upper atmosphere during active and quiet geomagnetic times via Joule
heating and energetic particle precipitation, estimates of which currently
vary by orders of magnitude between models and observation methods. An
innovation of the Daedalus preliminary mission concept is that it includes
the release of subsatellites at low altitudes: combined with the main
spacecraft, these subsatellites will provide multipoint measurements
throughout the lower thermosphere–ionosphere (LTI) region, down to altitudes
below 120 km, in the heart of the most under-explored region in the Earth's
atmosphere. This paper describes Daedalus as originally proposed to the ESA.

/pdf/daedalus-a-low-flying-spacecraft-for-in-situ-exploration-of-3gyx91hnb8.pdf

Daedalus: a low-flying spacecraft for in situ exploration of the lower thermosphere–ionosphere

The Micro-sized Microwave Atmospheric Satellite (MicroMAS) is a dual-spinning 3U CubeSat equipped with a nine-channel passive microwave spectrometer observing near the 118.75-GHz oxygen absorption line. The focus of this first MicroMAS mission is to observe convective thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, and hurricanes. The payload, housed in the “lower” 1U of the dual-spinning 3U CubeSat, is mechanically rotated approximately once per second as the spacecraft orbits the Earth, resulting in a cross-track scanned beam with a FWHM beamwidth of 2.5 degrees and an approximately 20-km diameter footprint at nadir incidence from a nominal altitude of 400 km. The MicroMAS flight unit is currently being developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the MIT Space Systems Laboratory, the MIT Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Department of Radio Astronomy for a 2013 launch on the Cygnus-2 ISS resupply mission. INTRODUCTION AND MISSION OVERVIEW Accurate monitoring and forecasting of severe weather provides enormous societal and economic benefit. High revisit-rate measurements provided by infrared (IR) imagers and sounders on satellites operating in geostationary orbit have proven to be a critically important asset. These observations, however, are blind to the most important meteorological phenomena relevant to severe weather events—clouds and the underlying precipitation. A low-Earth orbiting (LEO) constellation of passive microwave sensors could provide all-weather observations with revisit rates of approximately 30 minutes for advanced forecasting and nowcasting techniques and applications that are needed to study full hydrologic cycle processes. The goal of the MicroMAS mission is to demonstrate a core element of the constellation at very low cost – a 3U cross-track-scanning CubeSat hosting a microwave spectrometer with nine channels near the 118.75-GHz oxygen absorption line for sensing of temperature and precipitation at approximately 20-km spatial resolution with full Nyquist sampling. MicroMAS will launch on the Cygnus-2 ISS resupply mission, currently scheduled for December 8, 2013. The CubeSat will be delivered to the ISS as Cygnus cargo and will be deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD). J-SSOD is capable of launching small satellites from the station using the JEM Remote Manipulator System. MIT has contracted with SpaceFlight Services and NanoRacks to provide this service. The initial orbit altitude will be approximately 400 km, and MicroMAS will decay to 300 km in approximately 75 days. Orbit inclination will be 51.6 degrees. Spacecraft de-tumbling, initial checkout, and radiometer calibration and validation will occur in the first 30 days of the mission. The NASA Wallops Flight Facility will provide ground segment services in collaboration with the Utah State University

/pdf/micromas-a-first-step-towards-a-nanosatellite-constellation-7lq98cqhpn.pdf

MicroMAS: A First Step Towards a Nanosatellite Constellation for Global Storm Observation

Funded by the NSF CubeSat and NASA ELaNa programs, the Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment (DICE) mission consists of two 1.5U CubeSats which were launched into an eccentric low Earth orbit on October 28, 2011. Each identical spacecraft carries two Langmuir probes to measure ionospheric in-situ plasma densities, electric field probes to measure in-situ DC and AC electric fields, and a science grade magnetometer to measure in-situ DC and AC magnetic fields. Given the tight integration of these multiple sensors with the CubeSat platforms, each of the DICE spacecraft is effectively a “sensor-sat” capable of comprehensive ionospheric diagnostics. The use of two identical sensor-sats at slightly different orbiting velocities in nearly identical orbits permits the de-convolution of spatial and temporal ambiguities in the observations of the ionosphere from a moving platform. In addition to demonstrating nanosat-based constellation science, the DICE mission is advancing a number of groundbreaking CubeSat technologies including miniaturized mechanisms and high-speed downlink communications.

/pdf/design-development-implementation-and-on-orbit-performance-562887wccx.pdf

Design, Development, Implementation, and On-orbit Performance of the Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment Mission

Funded by the NSF CubeSat and NASA ELaNa programs, the Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment (DICE) mission consists of two 15U CubeSats which were launched into an eccentric low Earth orbit on October 28, 2011 Each identical spacecraft carries two Langmuir probes to measure ionospheric in-situ plasma densities, electric field probes to measure in-situ DC and AC electric fields, and a magnetometer to measure in-situ DC and AC magnetic fields Given the tight integration of these multiple sensors with the CubeSat platforms, each of the DICE spacecraft is effectively a “sensor-sat” capable of comprehensive ionospheric diagnostics Over time, the sensor-sats will separate relative to each other due to differences in the ejection velocity and enable accurate identification of geospace storm-time features, such as the geomagnetic Storm Enhanced Density (SED) bulge and plume The use of two identical sensor-sats permits the de-convolution of spatial and temporal ambiguities in the observations of the ionosphere from a moving platform In addition to demonstrating nanosat constellation science, the DICE mission downlink communications system is operating at 3 Mbit/s To our knowledge, this transmission rate is a factor of 100 or more greater than previous CubeSat missions to date This paper will focus on the DICE mission design, implementation, and on-orbit operations successes as well as the challenges faced in implementing a high-return science mission with limited resources Specifically, it will focus on the lessons learned in integrating, calibrating, and managing a small constellation of sensor-sats for global science

/pdf/dice-mission-design-development-and-implementation-success-4sbjzresv2.pdf

DICE Mission Design, Development, and Implementation: Success and Challenges

/pdf/dice-challenges-of-spinning-cubesats-4ny6kb5wlu.pdf

Dice: Challenges of Spinning Cubesats

The lower ionosphere/thermosphere (150 to 350 km) is the boundary between the sensible atmosphere of the Earth and space. This region receives energy and momentum from both the sun (ultra-violet light and electromagnetic energy coupled via the earth’s magnetosphere) and the lower atmosphere (turbulent waves). These processes act as system drivers and feedback elements, but are still poorly understood, making the weather in this region unpredictable. Few observations of these processes and their coupling are available and no validation of the predicted fundamental neutral or plasma processes has been accomplished. Although almost immeasurable themselves, these atmospheric changes have very measurable consequences to Earth’s inhabitants. The need to make long-term measurements is crucial, but is frustrated by factors such as cost, short orbit lifetimes, and infrequent launch opportunities. The International Space Station (ISS), orbiting just above this “inaccessible region”, is an ideal platform from which CubeSats can be deployed to study the region below. To prove the feasibility of such missions, students and engineers from Utah State University and the Space Dynamics Laboratory developed a conceptual design for an ISS CubeSat ejection system. Known as ICES, this responsive platform is capable of deploying multiple CubeSats to support missions studying the ionosphere/thermosphere region.

/pdf/the-iss-as-a-launch-platform-for-phenomena-of-interest-51e5vnjrm8.pdf

The ISS as a Launch Platform for Phenomena of Interest

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

Bryan Bingham

Author Tools

Chat about Author

Papers

Design, Development, Implementation, and On-orbit Performance of the Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment Mission

DICE Mission Design, Development, and Implementation: Success and Challenges

Dice: Challenges of Spinning Cubesats

The ISS as a Launch Platform for Phenomena of Interest