Small Satellites of the Year

The AIAA Small Satellite Mission of the Year Award is presented annually at the SmallSat Conference by the AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee to the mission that has demonstrated a significant improvement in the capability of small satellites. Eligible missions must have individual satellite wet mass of less than 150 kg, and must have launched, established communication, and have acquired results from on-orbit after January 1 of the year prior to the award year, 00:00:00 UTC. To demonstrate “significant improvement,” nominations must show innovation in: 

• Spacecraft structural design

• Scientific instrument development

• Communications capability

• Attitude determination and control capability

• Intersatellite coordination

• Constellation or cluster management

• Onboard computing

• Other mission aspects. 

The judges may consider missions with earlier launch dates that had delayed ISS deployments or extensive on-orbit checkout periods, on a case-by-case basis.

The AIAA Small Satellite Rookie of the Year Award is presented annually at the SmallSat Conference by the AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee chosen from those stepping onto the Small Satellite stage for the first time. Eligible missions must have individual satellite wet mass of less than 150 kg, and must have launched, established communication, and have acquired results from on-orbit after January 1 of the year prior to the award year, 00:00:00 UTC. 

The mission must also demonstrate a minimum of 1 uplink and 1 downlink from space and be the first in one of the following ways

• Organization

• Company

• University/School

• Country

• State

The judges may consider missions with earlier launch dates that had delayed ISS deployments or extensive on-orbit checkout periods, on a case-by-case basis. The judges may also consider organizations who's first mission was lost during a launch or deployer failure and never had the opportunity to work in space or who's first attempt to work in space was unsuccessful.

The AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee will use your nominations to generate a short list of finalists. The finalists will be notified and their mission descriptions will be on the voting page that will be live at the opening of The Small Satellite Conference. The SmallSat Mission of the Year organizers will send an e-mail to conference attendees with a link to the final voting webpage, asking the community to vote and rank the finalists. Voting is open to the public and not limited to Conference attendees. The Small Satellite Technical Committee selects the winner, informed by the public vote.