Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) Students Awarded First Place and Honorable Mention in Small Satellite Conference Student Competition

Congratulations to Dexter Stewart for placing first and Daniel Kichma for receiving an Honorable Mention in the 2026 Small Satellite Conference Student Competition. Stewart and Kichma worked on their papers and submitted them to the competition earlier this year while completing their graduate degrees at the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL). Both are now employed at SFL Missions, Stewart as a Mechanical and Launch Systems Specialist and Kichma as a Mechanical and Thermal Systems Specialist.

The Small Satellite Conference, held this year in Salt Lake City, hosts a prestigious annual Student Competition in which the entries are judged based on their written technical content as well as the quality of a live presentation in front of an audience at the event.

Dexter Stewart’s first-place winning paper was titled Design, Qualification, and Implementation of Modular Spacecraft Radio Testing Enclosures for Small Satellite Missions. His research focused on the design, qualification, and implementation of modular RF containment enclosures, known as ‘antenna hats,’ developed to enable safe, non-Over-The-Air testing of fully integrated small satellites. They provide a practical, customizable solution for small satellite missions operating in today’s increasingly restrictive RF testing environments.

“Testing our spacecraft’s radio-frequency systems at the launch site has always been a non-negotiable, when SpaceX banned Over-The-Air testing I had to find a way to meet both the internal and external requirements simultaneously”, said Stewart. “The antenna hats allow us to do that. Getting the opportunity to work on such a critical project was an amazing experience. I’m proud of everything we were able to accomplish with this technology. I’m grateful to the team at SFL for trusting me to solve this problem, and to the Small Satellite conference for allowing me to showcase my work.”

In Daniel Kichma’s paper, Framework for Design, Modelling, and Qualification of Phase Change Material Heat Sinks for Small Satellites, the thermal challenges associated with the increasing use of high-power hardware in small satellites are addressed through the use of Phase Change Material (PCM) heat sinks. PCM heat sinks absorb heat by melting, helping to maintain hardware within safe operating temperatures. Motivated by the need to develop this thermal control technology for a payload used in a SFL satellite, the paper presents a comprehensive framework for the design, modelling, and qualification of PCM heat sinks for spaceflight.

“PCM heat sinks will help expand the capabilities of small satellites by enabling the integration of more high-power hardware,” said Kichma. “One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was the opportunity SFL gave me to lead the development of the technology from concept to qualified flight hardware, supported by the mentorship of an experienced team. Being responsible for every stage of that process was both an invaluable learning experience and a highly rewarding challenge.”

SFL Missions’ Director and CEO Dr. Robert E. Zee was thesis supervisor to the students and celebrated the two student awards with Dexter Stewart and Daniel Kichma at the Small Satellite Conference 2026 in Salt Lake City. [See photo.]

Access Dexter Stewart’s paper here: DigitalCommons@USU – Small Satellite Conference: Design, Qualification, and Implementation of Modular Spacecraft Radio Testing Enclosures for Small Satellite Missions

 Access Daniel Kichma’s paper here: DigitalCommons@USU – Small Satellite Conference: Framework for Design, Modelling, and Qualification of Phase Change Material Heat Sinks for Small Satellites