Neutron-2

The Neutron-2 (N2) mission focuses on measuring neutrons in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using two cubesats flying in a polar orbit. It will be flying the next generation of neutron detectors developed at Arizona State University (ASU) and it will leverage lessons learned from Neutron-1, launched by Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) in 2020. The project is funded by the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) to accomplish the goals of the Neutron-2 mission.

The Neutron-2 mission aims to study the temporal dynamics of neutron and gamma-ray flux as a function of solar activity, time, altitude and different orbital positions in order to better characterize space weather in LEO and protect space assets.

HSFL is working with the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP)¹ to reach the goals of the Neutron-2 mission. UNP was established in 1999, described on their website as, “the first federally funded program dedicated exclusively to university participation in spacecraft development.” UNP has worked with over 50 universities and their students to increase education and experience on small satellite development.

As part of the Nanosatellite Program, Cycle 12, Neutron-2 not only receives funding for the design phase of the satellite mission, but also takes part in several design reviews with the UNP team and industry experts. This gives critical feedback on the design, experience going through the engineering design process, as well as valuable exposure with the industry. N2 is one of eleven schools that is part of NS-12 and is currently in Phase A, the design Phase. In January, 2027, the team will partake in the Flight Selection Review where only a couple teams will get selected to move into UNP Phase B which focuses on the flight model integration and testing.

The Neutron-2 mission’s primary scientific objective is to study and measure the dynamics of low-energy Earth albedo neutrons as a function of time, geomagnetic position (lat, lon, alt), and solar activity. To achieve this, we plan to utilize the next generation of compact neutron detectors developed by Arizona State University (ASU) and Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD)². Previous versions of this detector flew on both the Neutron-1 and the LunaH-Map missions.

The focus of these measurements is on low-energy secondary neutrons, a critical component of the LEO neutron environment. We will derive spatially and temporally resolved maps of secondary low-energy neutron abundances from the collected data, providing insights into their distribution as a function of latitude, longitude, and time.

The data collected by the neutron detectors aboard the two Neutron-2 CubeSats will enhance our understanding of the Earth-Sun interaction by mapping neutron abundances in LEO. This dataset will be analyzed for its potential application in characterizing space weather and improving radiation safety protocols for future missions.

The Neutron-2 bus contains mainly Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) components. Including an Onboard Computer, Structure and Electrical Power System from ISISpace, an Attitude Determination and Control System from CubeSpace and a GPS from Novatel. The radio will be based on the Libre Space SATNOGS Radio design. The flight software will utilize NASA JPL’s F-Prime.

To attain the science objective of collecting data at differing altitudes, the team will aim to launch two satellites into slightly different altitude orbits. To simplify the design for the student team, only one bus will be designed but two copies will be built during the fabrication and integration phase. The goal will be to have them on the same launch but released at different times to achieve the different altitudes.

Miguel Nunes is an Assistant Researcher at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) and Deputy Director of the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL). Miguel received his Aerospace Engineering Degree from the Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal, and his Masters and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Miguel has worked as an engineer for HSFL since 2009 on small satellite mission development with applications to science instrumentation, such as the NASA HyTI mission, where he currently serves as the Systems Engineer and Deputy PI. For his Ph.D. research, Miguel developed a Multi-Agent Robotic System (MARS) for distributed space missions. He is the main lead for the research and development of the Satellite Testing Facility and a co-inventor of the the Comprehensive Open-architecture Solution for Mission Operations System (COSMOS, https://github.com/hsfl/cosmos).

Aerospace and Mechanical Engineer, Ph.D.
Assistant Researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
Deputy Director of HSFL

Aris Carlos is a current graduate student pursuing his Master of Science degree in Computer Science at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. He serves as a Flight Software Engineer on the Neutron-2 CubeSat mission at the Hawai’i Space Flight Laboratory and develops the onboard software that coordinates hardware to carry out autonomous operations, process data, and communicate with ground stations. Outside of work, he enjoys playing video games, and experimenting with cooking and baking.

Kenoi Salvador is pursuing an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering. He has been serving as Neutron-2’s System/Chief Engineer since January of 2025 and has overseen the design of the satellite through all the design reviews. Kenoi has developed his skills through the UNP curriculum as well as the EPET (Earth and Planetary Exploration Technologies) courses offered at UH Manoa. Kenoi aspires to work in Japan as he pursues his minor in Japanese Language to deepen connections with his homeland.

Dennis Sarsozo is a Computer Engineering student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, expected to graduate in 2027. He works as a CubeSat Software Engineer Intern at the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory, contributing to both the NASA EPSCoR C3M mission and the Neutron-2 mission. He is also an AFROTC Space Force officer select candidate. Outside of engineering, Dennis enjoys photography, building software projects, and exploring new technology.

Piper received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2022. She began volunteering with the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory during her senior year of college and was hired as an engineer after graduation. Since being hired, she has contributed to the Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem and Mission Operations for the 6U CubeSat HyTI. Piper is currently pursuing her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with her research focus on implementing Model-Based Systems Engineering for CubeSats.