A nanosatellite designed and built almost entirely by USC students is set to launch in July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission, carrying technologies that could shape the future of autonomous space operations.
Known as MAVERIC, the shoebox-size 3U CubeSat will test a suite of next-generation space technologies, including 2D and 3D imaging for future satellite servicing, low-cost magnetic field sensing that could improve space weather data, and AI-enabled navigation systems. Together, these innovations could make future spacecraft smarter, safer and more autonomous while keeping humans at the center of critical decisions.
Much of the mission is focused on imaging methods that inform on-orbit servicing, an emerging field in which one spacecraft approaches another to inspect, repair, maintain or refuel another. As these operations become increasingly autonomous, USC researchers are exploring how intelligent systems can provide operators with better information, greater situational awareness and the ability to intervene when needed.
"Being able to watch what's happening and step in when needed during close-proximity operations helps build trust in autonomous systems," said David Barnhart, research professor of astronautical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, as well as co-founder and director of the USC Space Engineering Research Center within the USC Information Sciences Institute.
"The question is how you give people the perspective and information they need to do that safely and enable onboard autonomy to do it efficiently," he said.
USC satellite: From lab to launch
From its Marina del Rey laboratories in the heart of Southern California's aerospace corridor, the USC Space Engineering Research Center brings together USC Viterbi, USC ISI and industry partners to develop, build and test next-generation space technologies.
MAVERIC exemplifies that approach. Over the past two years, more than 60 students and faculty have worked side by side to take the satellite from concept to flight, supported by a gift from Positron Capital Management.
"Space is highly interdisciplinary," Barnhart said. "Working on a full spacecraft introduces students to every element they'll eventually need to understand and interact with when they go into industry."
Through the USC Space Engineering Research Center, students at every level - from high school summer researchers to doctoral candidates - contribute to funded research that produces real flight hardware and supports active space missions. They help design, build and launch satellites; operate spacecraft through USC's dedicated ground station; and conduct experiments aboard the International Space Station, giving them one of the nation's broadest hands-on space engineering experiences.
What USC satellite MAVERIC is testing
Rather than carrying a single scientific experiment, MAVERIC will evaluate several technologies designed to support the next generation of autonomous spacecraft and on-orbit servicing.
One of the mission's primary objectives is three-dimensional imaging. Using two cameras, MAVERIC will create both 2D and 3D images that give operators a potential perspective of nearby spacecraft during close-proximity operations, helping support future missions in which one spacecraft inspects, repairs, maintains or refuels another.
"The question is how you enable broader, more dynamic visualization for operators who want to approach another spacecraft - and how you give them the perspective and information they need to do that safely," Barnhart said.
The same imaging system will also support the mission's industry partner, Planetary Systems AI, which is conducting its first on-orbit demonstration of AI-powered software. The company will use imagery collected by MAVERIC to train machine learning models and evaluate how AI can process space-based data directly in orbit, reducing the need to transmit large volumes of raw data back to Earth.
"Taking our AI systems into orbit aboard MAVERIC and partnering with USC was two years in the making," said Cindy Chin, CEO and founder of Planetary Systems AI. "The launch gives us the ability to perform initial tests in an operational data environment we need to train our AI models under real conditions designed for launch directly."
MAVERIC will also test low-cost magnetic field sensing. While Earth's magnetic field has long been measured from space, Barnhart's team hopes to demonstrate that inexpensive CubeSats can collect high-quality data, allowing many future small satellites to contribute to higher-fidelity global measurements, which can support all satellites flying in the future.
Finally, the mission will evaluate a new approach to spacecraft navigation. Unlike most satellites, which rely on reaction wheels to orient themselves, MAVERIC uses Earth's magnetic field to adjust its position in orbit. Researchers will analyze flight data, use AI-based reinforcement learning to refine the navigation software on the ground and upload improved algorithms back to the spacecraft. The approach could lead to more autonomous, efficient and lower-cost spacecraft.
"We're asking whether these approaches can support the next generation of space operations," Barnhart said. "That's the investigation."
Universities as innovation partners
Beyond advancing USC research, MAVERIC demonstrates how universities can help emerging technologies move from the laboratory into operational environments.
The mission carries Planetary Systems AI's first operational deployment in low-Earth orbit, giving the company an opportunity to test AI-powered decision-support software using data collected by MAVERIC. For USC, the collaboration reflects a broader model of applied research in which faculty, students and industry partners work together to develop and validate new technologies.
"Universities play a unique role in the space ecosystem by helping emerging technologies move from theoretical research into applied flight demonstrations," Barnhart said.
"Through the academically focused MAVERIC satellite, USC is giving students hands-on experience translating classroom lessons into real mission operations, while also providing a pathway for partners to evaluate innovative capabilities in orbit."
