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🚀 major · space & satellite technology

Satellites, AI &
robotics in orbit

CubeSats as our platform – from bus engineering to on‑board AI and autonomous manipulation. This research‑oriented major focuses on spacecraft engineering, not celestial bodies: satellites, rendezvous, and embedded intelligence.

🧪 this semester · CubeSat training with CubeKraft CubeSat engineering AI/ML in orbit space robotics bus & payload

Vision

To become a recognised student hub for small‑satellite innovation — where members design, assemble, and test CubeSat subsystems while integrating artificial intelligence for on‑board data processing and robotic mechanisms for on‑orbit operations.

—”from 1U to constellation”

Mission

Enable members to master satellite engineering through hands‑on training with CubeKraft, research‑grade AI/ML pipelines for Earth observation, and robotic simulation for rendezvous & capture — all within a collaborative culture rooted in space systems engineering.

key activities · space & satellite research rhythm

CubeKraft residency

weekly deep dives — from CubeSat specifications (1U–12U) to EPS, OBC, and communication subsystems. Training includes assembly, functional testing, and basic environmental tests.

next: ADCS & magnetorquers

ML for space

Teams develop lightweight ML models for on‑board inference: cloud detection, super‑resolution, or anomaly detection. Deployment on embedded hardware (ARM, FPGA) is explored.

3 active pods this semester

robotics in orbit

End‑of‑semester group project: simulate a robotic arm for CubeSat docking or debris capture. Use Gazebo with ROS 2, then test on a 2‑DOF prototype. Presented at the space symposium.

past: reaction wheel testbed
All design files, AI training logs, and robotics code are archived in the major’s space systems repository. Members maintain a structured digital engineering logbook.

🛰️ this semester’s core

Intensive training with CubeKraft – from CubeSat mechanical/electrical integration to mission planning. All members will complete a full CubeSat simulation and present a preliminary design review.

CubeKraft

CubeSat as our central platform

All research activities this semester orbit CubeSat engineering: structural design, power budgets, communication links, and payload integration. Members engage with CAD models, flat‑sats, and industry standards (CubeSat Design Specification).

electrical power system (EPS) on‑board computer (OBC) UHF/S‑band comms ADCS & attitude control ML inference at edge robotic arm kinematics thermal & radiation
AI & Machine Learning in space: this semester we focus on deploying lightweight neural networks for onboard hyperspectral image analysis and anomaly detection. Frameworks: TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers, scikit-learn.
Robotics in orbit: simulation of a 7‑DOF manipulator for satellite servicing. Weekly meetings cover forward/inverse kinematics, ROS2 integration, and a physical demo with a 3D‑printed gripper.
explore space & satellite major resources – CAD library, AI datasets, robotics code space systems hub →

Space & Satellite Technology major – part of Aero Nova’s engineering divisions. We investigate the engineering of satellites and space vehicles — no galaxies, no celestial bodies, purely aerospace systems. This semester: CubeSats (with CubeKraft), plus AI/ML and robotics threads.

The major follows a thematic cycle: each semester we focus on a different satellite class or technology (CubeSats, smallsats, formation flying, on‑orbit servicing). This semester’s deep dive is CubeSat engineering with CubeKraft. Next semester: autonomous rendezvous & docking. We combine hands‑on builds, AI model training, and robotics simulation.