ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Software-Driven Imaging Mission Planning and Attitude Control for Super-Agile Satellites
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1
Aerospace Engineering, KFUPM, Saudi Arabia
2
Aerospace Engineering, IRC-ASE KFUPM
Submission date: 2026-02-10
Final revision date: 2026-04-07
Acceptance date: 2026-05-19
Publication date: 2026-09-07
Journal of Undergraduate Research International 2026;2(2):9-19
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ABSTRACT
This study evaluates multitarget imaging within a single orbital pass using a software-driven 6U CubeSat simulation. Advances in software-defined operations have enabled small Earth observation satellites to perform imaging tasks beyond their hardware limitations. Leveraging this capability, a simulation was developed using the Systems Tool Kit (STK) to assess agile imaging performance. Six observation sites in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of dynamic, software-driven attitude planning. By integrating access analysis with a multi-segment mission plan, the satellite executes rapid attitude maneuvers to sequentially align the onboard sensor with each target. The results demonstrate that the proposed strategy successfully acquires six spatially distributed targets within a single orbital pass, achieving a six-fold increase in coverage compared with conventional nadir-pointing operation. The required maneuvers remain within the operational limits of typical commercial 6U CubeSat attitude determination and control systems (ADCS), with peak slew rates below 8°/s. This study validates the feasibility of software-driven agile imaging through high fidelity simulation and highlights the potential of software-defined mission planning to enhance Earth observation performance without hardware modification.