Mission and system design for the EarthNext Cubesat VLEO mission

Abstract EarthNext is a CubeSat mission developed within the ALCOR program, an initiative supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to develop innovative CubeSat missions addressing diverse space-related challenges. Specifically, the EarthNext mission is designed for the In Orbit Demonstration (IOD) of operating a CubeSat in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). Operating in such a low-altitude environment is of particular interest due to the unique advantages offered by VLEO, including enhanced spatial resolution and radiometric performance in Earth Observation (EO), reduced revisit time, and the possibility of using low-cost, volume-limited platforms. Consistently, EarthNext also aims to deliver value-added products and services for land and marine applications through the acquisition of high-resolution multispectral images of customer-selected targets over Italy. As a result, the platform, conceived as a 16U CubeSat, has been designed to excel in sustained EO tasks and autonomous operations since it can rely on fundamental enabling technologies such as an innovative electric Propulsion Subsystem (PS), a dedicated advanced optical payload, and on-board Artificial Intelligence. The following contribution will then focus on the mission design of EarthNext, presenting the main outcomes of the mission analysis and an overview of the mission’s concept of operations. The contribution will be further enhanced by including the most recent advancements in platform design to achieve the mission's objectives.