Next Generation Cubesats and Smallsats: Enabling Technologies, Missions, and Markets

Next Generation of CubeSats and SmallSats: Enabling Technologies, Missions, and Markets provides a comprehensive understanding of the small and medium sized satellite approach and its potentialities and limitations. The book analyzes promising applications (e.g., constellations and distributed systems, small science platforms that overachieve relative to their development time and cost) as paradigm-shifting solutions for space exploitation, with an analysis of market statistics and trends and a prediction of where the technologies, and consequently, the field is heading in the next decade. The book also provides a thorough analysis of CubeSat potentialities and applications, and addresses unique technical approaches and systems strategies.

Throughout key sections (introduction and background, technology details, systems, applications, and future prospects), the book provides basic design tools scaled to the small satellite problem, assesses the technological state-of-the-art, and describes the most recent advancements with a look to the near future. This new book is for aerospace engineering professionals, advanced students, and designers seeking a broad view of the CubeSat world with a brief historical background, strategies, applications, mission scenarios, new challenges and upcoming advances.

Francesco Branz received the Ph.D. degree in space sciences, technologies and measurements from the Centre of Studies and Activities for Space “Giuseppe Colombo” (CISAS), University of Padova, Italy. He is a Research Associate in Space Systems and Equipments with the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padova, and is also affiliated with CISAS. His research interests focus on space robotics, CubeSat technology, relative navigation sensors, docking mechanisms, and optical communication. He has taken part in several national and international research projects. Currently, he is technical leader in two ESA-funded projects: the development of a CubeSat-sized docking mechanism in the framework of the Space Rider Observer Cube (SROC) mission, and the development of a simulation tool for the validation of GNC algorithms to enable the capture of space vehicles by a manipulator-equipped chaser satellite.

Dr. Chantal Cappelletti is currently an Assistant Professor at University of Nottingham, where she is affiliated with the Nottingham Geospatial Institute and Gas Turbine & Transmissions Research Centre. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Brasilia (Brazil) and a visiting researcher at Morehead State University (USA). She is an active member of the International Academy of Astronautics and chairwoman of the IAA Latin American CubeSat workshop. She is a co-founder of the Italian company GAUSS Srl, whose main business is small satellite components and launch providers. As CEO of the company, she procured the launch of several satellites from different countries and the first PocketQubeSat launch ever. She has led 6 satellite projects involving students from different countries and universities. Her activities focus mainly on small satellites and educational programs, with specific interests also on Space Debris and Biomedical research in space. Recently she established the UoN CubeSat program, involving students from different disciplines and faculties. Currently, Dr Chantal and her team are working on 4 satellite projects (leading on two of these), and has several international collaborations in Europe, Brazil, Russia and United States. She is authors of more than 50 publications and co-editor of the "CubeSat Handbook: from mission analysis to operation

Antonio J. Ricco received BS and PhD degrees in chemistry from UC Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively. He’s held positions at Sandia National Laboratories, the University of Heidelberg (visiting professor), ACLARA BioSciences, the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Dublin City University; adjunct professor), Stanford University, and NASA Ames Research Center. His R&D experience includes chemical microsensors and microsystems; polymer microfluidic systems for biotech research and pathogen detection; point-of-care medical diagnostic devices; autonomous bioanalytical systems for space biology and astrobiology studies aboard small satellites; and search-for-life analytical payloads for missions to the icy worlds of the solar system.

At NASA/Ames, where he is presently on secondment from Stanford, he has served as project technologist for the GeneSat, PharmaSat, O/OREOS, EcAMSat and SporeSat spaceflight nanosatellite missions; instrument scientist and mission manager for the O/OREOS mission; and payload technologist for the BioSentinel deep space mission. He is PI of the NASA projects SPLIce: Sample Processor for Life on Icy Worlds and MICA: Microfluidic Icy-world Chemical Analyzer, and a member of the ESA Topical Team on Future Astrobiology Experiments in Earth Orbit and Beyond.

Dr. Ricco is co-author of over 275 publications, 400 presentations, and 23 issued patents. He was an E.T.S. Walton Fellow (Science Foundation Ireland), is a Fellow of The Electrochemical Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and serves as Vice President of the Transducer Research Foundation.

John Hines is Founder/Executive Director of the Hines Family Foundation for Education, Innovation, and Service (HFF), a non-profit Atlanta, Georgia STEM, Innovation and Technology Workforce enabler, which aims to provide resources, opportunities and support for deserving, underrepresented, under-resourced individuals and groups. John is also Managing Director and Chief Technical Officer at JH Technology Associates LLC (JHTA), a California Technology Consulting and Advisory Services company. in December, 2012, John retired as NASA-Ames Chief Technologist (CCT) after nearly 37 years of service.

Earlier, John was Chief Technologist in the ARC Engineering Directorate, Deputy Chief and Chief Technologist for the Small Spacecraft Division. As originator of the Ames Nanosatellite Missions Office, John initiated, directed or facilitated ten Nanosatellite/ISS/Free Flyer missions.

From 2002-2009 John was the Principal Investigator / Program Manager for Biosensors and in-situ Bio-analytical Systems. Under John’s direction, these teams developed/applied advanced technologies for Medical/Biological, Biotechnology, small satellites, wearable biomedical biotelemetry sensors, and bio-analytical measurement systems. From 2002-2004, John was Program Manager for the NASA-NIH-NCI Biomolecular Physics and Chemistry Program.

John has Chaired Peer and Program reviews and panels for the NASA Space Technology Programs, and served on two National Academy of Sciences Committees: Space-Based Additive Manufacturing of Space Hardware, and the NAS Space Technology Industry-Government-University Roundtable.

John has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Tuskegee University, a MS in Biomedical/Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and nearly 50 years of combined NASA/Air Force/Research Institute experience in biological/biomedical technology development, spaceflight hardware development, electronic systems, technology assessment, program/project/product development, management, and program advocacy.