iCubeSat

Deadline extensions / NASA travel rules

ja — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:46:25 +0000

As a result of requests for deadline extensions from those affected by the new sequester driven NASA travel rules, we have modified the conference deadlines for everyone as follows:

3rd May 2013 ~~31st March 2013~~ Student Scholarship Competition paper upload deadline

3rd May 2013 ~~1st April 2013~~ Abstract upload deadline

6th May 2013 ~~15th April 2013~~ Notification of abstract acceptance

Those who have already submitted abstracts will receive notifications of abstract acceptance as per the original timetable (15th April 2013). Please do not hesitate to contact committee@iCubeSat.org if you have any questions or require any other assistance. We look forward to seeing you in Ithaca!

Abstracts, student competition, registration, travel and exhibitors

ja — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:28:33 +0000

A few quick reminders and bits of information: the deadline for submitting abstracts and entries for the student competition is just two weeks away, so please submit in good time to have the best chance of presenting as a deadline extension is unlikely given the numbers. We’ve put up some hotel and travel information here. Registration is now $49 for students, $199 for full attendees – register before 15th April to avoid a 50% increase on that date. Finally, if you’re an exhibitor, it looks as if we’re about to sell out the exhibition area, so we’d strongly recommend registering today to avoid disappointment.

iCubeSat 2013 call for papers and registration

ja — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:25:31 +0000

Download the conference poster here

iCubeSat 2013, the 2nd Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop, will address the technical challenges, opportunities, and practicalities of interplanetary space exploration with CubeSats. With dozens of attendees and exhibitors already registered (more than 150 people participated last year), the workshop provides a unique environment for open wide ranging practical collaboration between academic researchers, industry professionals, policy makers and students developing this new and rapidly growing field.

Technical Program

Talks and round tables will focus on three themes: technology, science, and open collaboration. The program will also include unconference sessions to provide additional opportunities to engage with the interplanetary CubeSat community and potential collaborators. Talks and supporting material will be archived on the conference website. A lively social program in and around summertime Ithaca will be arranged for participants and their guests.

Student Scholarship Competition

This year we are very pleased to be able to announce the iCubeSat Scholarship Competition, open to any undergraduate or postgraduate student, judged by a panel drawn from academica and industry. Details available at iCubeSat.org/scholarship-competition

Abstract Submission and Dates

Talks on astrodynamics, attitude control and determination systems, citizen science, communications, landers, launch opportunities, open source approaches, outreach, payloads, policy, power systems, propulsion, reentry systems, ride-shares, science missions, software, standardization, structures, systems engineering and other related topics are all welcome.

11th August 2012 Registration opens at iCubeSat.org/registration

31st March 2013 Student Scholarship Competition paper upload deadline

1st April 2013 Abstract upload deadline

15th April 2013 Notification of abstract acceptance

24th May 2013 Presentation (and optional paper) upload deadline

Please confirm your interest in presenting or attending as soon as possible (to assist us size the venue) by completing the registration form.

Exhibition

CubeSat specialists and other vendors are invited to contact exhibit@iCubeSat.org for details of exhbition opportunities.

Location

The second Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop will be held on or near the Cornell University campus, Ithaca, New York, USA on Tuesday, May 28th and Wednesday May 29th, 2013.

Organizers

The organising committee can be contacted at committee@iCubeSat.org

See you in beautiful Ithaca!

Student Paper Scholarship Competition

ja — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:23:08 +0000

The iCubeSat 2013 organising committee are pleased to announce the iCubeSat Scholarship Competition.

The competition is open to any undergraduate or postgraduate student registered in a full time or part time degree at the time of submitting their paper via the online submission system. Students are asked to submit papers for consideration by a panel of judges from the Interplanetary CubeSat community by 31st March 2013. Full details can be found on the Scholarship Competition page here.

We look forward to receiving your paper – good luck!

iCubeSat 2013 preliminary call for papers and registration

ja — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:35:35 +0000

We are happy to confirm that iCubeSat 2013, the 2nd Interplanetary CubeSat workshop will be held in Ithaca, New York on or near the Cornell University campus on the 28th and 29th May 2013. The preliminary call for papers can be found here.

Registration is now open and we would encourage you to register your intention to attend the workshop (no payment will be requested at this time) as soon as possible to help us ensure that our venue is big enough to accommodate everyone. You can download the conference poster here or email committee@icubesat.org if you would like us to send you one.

You can register today via the registration form here - we look forward to seeing you in beautiful Ithaca!

What is iCubeSat?

ja — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 14:09:39 +0000

iCubeSat was created in 2011 by JA as a neutral, non-profit, open source, open access forum for anyone with an interest in the concept of Interplanetary CubeSats to present, disseminate and archive their ideas, work, tools, techniques and other relevant items for anyone interested in the peaceful exploration of space.

Its first major event was the first Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop which was organised with the help of a committee invited by JA with members with academic, commercial and non-profit affiliations. Funding to allow the workshop to take place was generously provided by more than 100 academic, commercial and non-profit entities and private individuals through donations in kind, sponsorship and registration fees.

The location of the workshop moves from year to year: iCubeSat 2012 was held in Cambridge, MA and it has been announced that iCubeSat 2013 will be held in Ithaca, NY, iCubeSat 2014 in Pasadena, CA and locations for subsequent years have been kindly offered by a number of institutions.

iCubeSat 2012 A.1.P Technology – System Issues for Interplanetary CubeSat Missions – Q&A – Panel

ja — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 01:13:53 +0000

iCubeSat 2012 A.1.P – Technology – System Issues for Interplanetary CubeSat Missions – Q&A – Panel

iCubeSat.org.2012.a.1.P.Audio.128kbps.Panel

iCubeSat 2012 A.1.5 Understanding Technology S-Curve’s in The Exploration of The Solar System – Sean Murphy

ja — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:51:31 +0000

Great Things Come in Small Packages. By changing the paradigm with the emphasis on alternate mission concepts for existing capabilities and on innovative mission concepts for new capabilities that are enabled by small spacecraft, hosted payloads, and/or integrated operations.

iCubeSat.org.2012.a.1.5.Audio.128kbps.Murphy

iCubeSat 2012.A.1.4 A Cost Estimating Methodology for Very Small Satellites – Mary Boghosian

ja — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:29:31 +0000

This presentation summarizes an internal research and development effort at The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) to create a methodology for estimating the cost of very small satellites, including picosats and CubeSats.

Costing methodologies for picosatellites are of particular interest due to the fact that none of the currently available cost methodologies are applicable to this range of satellites, yet the capabilities of smaller satellites are advancing, and their production and launch frequencies are increasing. We at Aerospace Corporation have realized this need and have engaged in developing a cost methodology to cover the small satellite mass range (<50kg-0.1kg).

Through literature search and interviews with subject matter experts involved in the development of small satellites, we derived a new approach for costing. We named this new approach the Aerospace PIcosatellite COst MOdel (A-PICOMO). This new methodology required development of Cost Drivers unique to very small satellites and the validation of the drivers with historical data from completed picosat projects. We identified and defined two categories of cost drivers, System Size Drivers, and System Cost Drivers or (Project Drivers) that help characterize the complexity and cost of picosats.

In addition to describing the results of our research, we will describe our approach in developing the new cost methodology and the outcome of our initial validation. This presentation will also discuss observations and lessons learned in costing such small satellites.

iCubeSat.org.2012.a.1.4.Audio.128kbps.Boghosian

iCubeSat 2012 A.1.3 Interplanetary CubeSat System Design Challenges and Architectures – Austin Williams

ja — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:10:30 +0000

The desire to utilize low cost, quick turn around CubeSats for interplanetary missions is an exciting challenge. There are three fundamental constraints to the system design that a long duration, interplanetary mission imposes: Power Generation, Volume, and Radiation. This talk will discuss the critical design decision between going RadHard vs COTS, and provide a comparison of their relative performance, and power requirements. A brief discussion on radiation effects on components will lead into a trade of several system architectures. It will be shown that the pace that modern mobile electronics are progressing, and performance per watt that they achieve makes a strong case for their utilization. Modern processors and memory provide the processing capability and storage, with a variety of “Sleep” modes for significant power savings. Several radiation tolerant system design techniques are discussed to enable COTS technology to survive long duration, interplanetary missions. The talk will end by proposing a mission that could provide enormously useful data points that can influence the design of technically ambitious CubeSat missions with high science value.

iCubeSat.org.2012.a.1.3.Audio.128kbps.Williams

iCubeSat 2012 A.1.2 Identification and Evaluation of iCubeSat Mission Architectures – Mathew Zwack

ja — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 23:45:07 +0000

Since the genesis of the CubeSat standard, the usage of CubeSats has become increasingly popular in commercial, military, and academic applications alike. CubeSats typically serve as cost effective test-beds and demonstrators for various in-space technologies in earth orbit. However, their low cost paradigm is beginning to extend into many other areas of satellite operations. With the advent of new technologies, the use of CubeSats for missions extending far beyond earth orbit can be realized. The first step towards the realization of interplanetary CubeSat (iCubeSat) missions is the identification and evaluation of candidate mission architectures. The idea of an iCubeSat is relatively new and it is, therefore, important to evaluate as many mission architectures as possible while avoiding the use of historical experience as a down-selection tool. This study uses various pre-conceptual level systems engineering techniques to identify and evaluate candidate architectures for a general iCubeSat mission. The architectures are assembled using a Morphological Matrix of Alternatives (MoA), and are then evaluated against a list of attributes using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Application of AHP allows for the use of qualitative data in performing a quantitative assessment, enabling a rapid evaluation of all the possible mission architectures that can be defined by the MoA. From this analysis, the Pareto optimal solutions are identified, providing insight into the driving trades that exist for the novel concept of iCubeSat missions. A method for identifying candidates from the Pareto optimal solutions for further study is presented using Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) techniques to rank the architectures based upon a prioritization of mission objectives.

iCubeSat.org.2012.a.1.2.Audio.128kbps.Zwack

iCubeSat 2012.A.1.1 Interplanetary CubeSats: Some Missions Feasible Sooner than Expected – Robert Staehle

ja — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 22:54:55 +0000

NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program selected Interplanetary CubeSats for further investigation, some results of which are reported. Interplanetary CubeSats enable small, low-cost missions beyond LEO. This class is defined by mass <~ 10 kg, cost < $30M, and durations up to 5 years. Over the coming decade, a stretch of six distinct technology areas, creating one overarching architecture, can enable comparatively low-cost Solar System exploration missions with capabilities far beyond those demonstrated in small satellites to date.

Technologies:

1. CubeSat electronics and subsystems extended to operate in the interplanetary environment (esp. radiation and duration of operation).

2. Optical telecommunications to enable very compact, low power uplink/downlink over interplanetary distances.

3. Solar sail propulsion to enable major maneuvers and rendezvous with multiple targets using no propellant.

4. Navigation of the Interplanetary Superhighway to enable multiple destinations over reasonable mission durations with achievable delta-V.

5. Small, highly capable instrumentation (such as a miniature imaging spectrometer) enabling acquisition of high-quality scientific and exploration information.

6. Onboard storage and processing of raw instrument data and navigation information to enable maximum utility of uplink and downlink telecom capacity, and minimal operations staffing.

When integrated, these technologies form the Interplanetary CubeSat Architecture.

Architecture: Interplanetary CubeSats build on the existing Earth-orbiting CubeSat architecture. Target spacecraft volume is 10 cm x 20 cm x 30 cm (6U). 2U are reserved for the mission-specific payload. The solar sail occupies 2U and deploys to form a 6 x 6 m or larger square. The solar sail is based on the Planetary Society/Stellar Exploration LightSail™ 1, plus electrochromic tips for attitude control. A 2-way optical communication terminal occupying 1U is based on JPL laser telecommunications developments, with a link capacity of 1 kbps @ 2 AU Earth-spacecraft distance. The final 1U is used for satellite housekeeping (C&DH, power, attitude determination) and based on CalPoly CP7 and JPL CubeSat On-board processing Validation Experiment (COVE) avionics.

Candidate missions: Though there are many different missions that would be possible with this architecture, the potential missions being researched under NIAC sponsorship are:

1. Mineral Mapping of Asteroids

2. Solar System Escape Technology Demonstration

3. Earth-Sun Sub-L1 Space Weather Monitor

4. Phobos Sample Return

5. Earth-Moon L2 Radio Quiet Observatory

6. Out-of-ecliptic Missions

Objectives and technology drivers of these missions are reported to illustrate the broad spectrum of missions enabled by advancing the CubeSat state-of-the-art beyond low Earth orbit.

iCubeSat.org.2012.a.1.1.Audio.128kbp.Staehle

iCubeSat 2012 K.1.1 Space Technology At NASA: Breadth, Depth, and a Small-Satellite Strategy – Mason Peck

ja — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:41:54 +0000

NASA’s new Space Technology Program has funded more than 1,000 projects since its inception in 2011. These projects span the entire spectrum of technology readiness – from early-stage concepts to flight-demonstration hardware that will enable our future missions. Several new programs at NASA within Space Technology offer funding opportunities for innovators across the nation to develop small-satellite technologies: ELaNa, which provides launch opportunities for cubesats; Edison, which provides significant funding for in-orbit technology demonstrations; and a suite of early-stage innovation and game-changing development programs. In particular, the Edison SmallSat program helps to continue America’s leadership in space through the further development of this class of satellites–small, agile and relatively inexpensive spacecraft that could perform many tasks in science, exploration, operations, and commercial development of space in a way that has not been seen before. These spacecraft represent a new opportunity for NASA to approach its diverse goals in science, exploration and education. Encouraging the growth of small-spacecraft technology also benefits our economy. Many of the technologies that enable small spacecraft come from the innovative world of small business, where commercial practices provide innovative and cost-effective solutions. Those technologies will continue to advance in performance as demand and competition drive companies to excel.

iCubeSat.org.2012.k.1.Audio.128kbp.Peck

iCubeSat 2012 presentations and video

ja — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 22:35:35 +0000

At the end of a busy week, we have finally finished processing all the presentations and video captured from the live streaming. You can view all the talks, posters and supporting sessions by clicking on the items of interest listed in the updated program here. High quality video will follow next week as soon as we receive the master tapes.

iCubeSat 2012 – Day two

ja — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:14:24 +0000

It’s day two of iCubeSat 2012 and the live streaming is online and can be viewed here.

Welcome to iCubeSat 2012!

ja — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:38:36 +0000

The halls are buzzing with the attendees and exhibitors arriving at the first Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop. Our live streaming will be going live at about 13:55 Eastern time for a 14:00 start and you can watch and interact by visiting this page or clicking on the live streaming link on the right.

Almost time…

ja — Mon, 28 May 2012 20:24:03 +0000

It’s a beautiful Memorial Day in sunny Boston and we’re putting the final touches to preparations for iCubeSat 2012. You can collect your badge and conference bag (including the book of abstracts) from 1PM onwards tomorrow (Tuesday) on the sixth floor of the MIT Media Lab (building E14, room E14-633 to be precise). We have lots of signs and maps here so you shouldn’t get too lost. If you haven’t done so already, please upload your presentation/poster and optional paper as described here today as tomorrow will be too late. As you can see from our visitor statistics map (above), this is an international interplanetary event! Details of the live streaming service for those who haven’t been able to make it will be posted here when the workshop starts at 2PM tomorrow – see you then!

Registration closes on Thursday 24th May 2012

ja — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:57:20 +0000

It’s less than a week to go until the workshop and as well as our auditorium being full, our overflow area is nearly full too. If you’d like to attend, please register before 1700EST on Thursday 24th May 2012 when we expect to have to close registrations. Please note that on site registration won’t be possible as we won’t have any room and it is not permitted due to local regulations. If you can’t get in, we will be live streaming the workshop, so one way or the other we look forward to seeing you in person or virtually in Boston next week for an exciting workshop!

Program and Instructions for Authors

ja — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:59:07 +0000

The provisional program for iCubeSat 2012 is now online here. If you are an author, please review the Instructions for Authors and follow the instructions for uploading your presentation / poster and optional paper. Please note that we must receive all presentations, posters and optional papers no later than the 28th May 2012 and will be operating a ‘no upload, no podium’ rule.

We have rearranged our venue to provide an extra 50 seats in an area of the exhibition hall that will be video linked to the auditorium to give more people the chance to participate on site. Approximately half of these seats have already been reserved by people on the waiting list, so we recommend registering here as soon as possible to be placed on the waiting list and have the best chance of getting one of the remaining seats. We will be contacting those who have already reserved with details of how to confirm their place shortly.

Abstracts and registration waiting list

ja — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:22:33 +0000

We’re pleased to announce that we received more than 40 high quality abstracts for the workshop and expect to send out notifications to authors by April 15th as scheduled. Registration as an attendee or exhibitor has now moved to a first come first served waiting list system as we are full. If you would like to attend in either capacity, please register on the waiting list as some places will probably open up due to cancellations and we are reconfiguring the venue to accommodate additional attendees and exhibitors. We also plan to live stream the event, so please sign up via the registration form if you would like to attend that way so we can be sure to accommodate you – thanks!

Abstracts, visas, prices and exhibitors

ja — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:27:40 +0000

A few quick reminders and bits of information: the deadline for submitting abstracts is just two weeks away, so please submit in good time to have the best chance of presenting as a deadline extension is unlikely given the numbers. People traveling from overseas who need a visa might find this page helpful. If you need a letter of invitation please email committee@iCubeSat.org. Registration is now $50 for students, $200 for full attendees – register before 15th April to avoid a 50% increase on that date. Finally, if you’re an exhibitor, it looks as if we’re about to sell out the exhibition area, so we’d strongly recommend registering today to avoid disappointment.

Hurry to reserve your place at the current price!

ja — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:40:19 +0000

We’ve been amazed by the interest in this workshop and are gratified that we already have dozens of attendees registered from universities, organisations such as JPL and NASA, and companies large and small from around the world. We have space for a total of 106 attendees which seemed like a lot back in December, but we are running out of places, so if you intend coming please register today to guarantee your place and avoid disappointment and a 25% registration fee increase on March 15th if we still have any places left!

Call for papers

ja — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:35:15 +0000

Download a printable copy here: iCubeSat2012CallForPapers

Download the poster here: iCubeSat2012Poster

iCubeSat, the Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop, will address the technical challenges, opportunities, and practicalities of space exploration with CubeSats. The workshop will provide a unique environment for open practical collaboration between academic researchers, industry professionals, policy makers, and students developing this new and rapidly growing field.

Technical Program

Talks and round tables will focus on three themes: technology, science, and open collaboration.

Keynote speakers

Technology:
Mason Peck, NASA, Chief Technologist
Science:
Sara Seager, MIT, Professor of Physics and Planetary Science

The program will also include unconference sessions to provide additional opportunities to engage with the interplanetary CubeSat community and potential collaborators. Talks and supporting material will be streamed and posted on the conference website. A lively social program in and around summertime Boston will be arranged for participants and their guests.

Abstract Submission and Dates

25th January 2012	iCubeSat.org registration opens
1st April 2012	Abstract submission deadline
15th April 2012	Notification of abstract acceptance
28th May 2012	Presentation (and optional paper) upload deadline

Please indicate your interest in presenting or attending as soon as possible by completing the registration form.

Exhibition

CubeSat specialists and other vendors are invited to have a look at our exhibitor information page or contact exhibit@iCubeSat.org for details.

Organizers

iCubeSat is an initiative of International CubeSat Consortium members at Cornell University, JA and MIT. The workshop organizers Alessandra Babuscia, Rebecca Jensen-Clem, Michael Johnson, Mary Knapp, Sara Spangelo, Lorraine Weis, and Rodrigo Zeledon can be contacted at committee@iCubeSat.org

See you this summer in beautiful Boston!

Welcome!

ja — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:58:41 +0000

Welcome to the website for the 1st Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop due to be held on the 29th and 30th of May 2012 in Cambridge, MA, USA. This workshop is jointly organised by Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the purpose of exploring this exciting new direction for space research.

More details about the workshop will be posted here as they are developed. If you would like to attend or receive more information, please email committee@iCubeSat.org

Thank you and see you in Boston!