## 2 The \({}^{3}\)ColStar Satellite Mission
This initiative provided an unvaluable opportunity to develop a CubeSat and deploy it from the Japanese module \"Kibo\" onboard the International Space Station (ISS), thereby contributing to the sustainability and advancement of future space activities. Based on the KiboCUBE opportunity, the constraints for the mission are [46]:  
* The satellite must be fully tested for the launch procedure according to the JAXA JEM Payload Accommodation Handbook [54]. * Deployment from the Kibo module in the ISS determines the mission orbit (semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, and argument of perigee). For the \({}^{3}\)ColStar, the ground segment has been developed around multiple locations to fulfill the payload's objectives and the orbit based on the ISS orbital elements. The ground segment is designed for academic purposes, allowing universities with these capabilities to participate actively by utilizing the ground stations. This method facilitates regular satellite connectivity for uploading communication codes, downloading data from the primary weather sensor payload, and managing the secondary IoT payload. The main monitoring and communication station will be centrally located in Bogota to oversee these operations effectively. To ensure that the communications between the spacecraft and the different ground stations were correctly estimated, an orbital simulation of the mission profile was executed by using an astrodynamics propagator (NASA GMAT) [55]; to calculate the number of contacts, duration, range, and mission lifetime (re-entry) for the space debris simulation, we used the DRAMA (Debris Risk Assessment and Mitigation Analysis) ESA software (version 3.1.0) [56]. To validate the mission, multiple orbital simulations were conducted based on possible future launch dates. These simulations were designed to compare the computational performance of \({}^{3}\)ColStar with previous CubeSat missions and to evaluate its behavior under various space conditions. In the case of the \({}^{3}\)ColStar CubeSat, using a simulated launch date, the duration until reaching the same End of Life (EoL) altitude was estimated to be 238 days, based on numerical integration errors from the propagator steps and computational models of atmospheric drag (initial satellite altitude (ISS) (km): 416.016; final satellite altitude (EoL) (km): 161.298). This estimation of perturbations is the result of a static MSISE90 model implemented in the simulation, the ideal spherical model for solar radiation pressure, and the J2 mathematical gravity perturbation (see Figure 2). These simulations not only validate the computational models against realistic scenarios but also ensure robust mission planning and execution. Since the mission operations will be located in Colombia (Colombian Air Force SpOC), and due to its proximity to the Equator (0\({}^{\circ}\) latitude), the number of contacts will be significantly reduced during mission operation. Based on our simulations for the expected lifetime of the \({}^{3}\)ColStar mission (see Figure 2), the summary of the ground stations' contacts are as follows: the number of contacts with the satellite is 572; the average contact time with the satellite is 284.745 [s]. * The size of the CubeSat must not exceed the 1U standard (Figure 3a,b). * Hazardous materials must not be used on the satellite, since it will be deployed from a space crewed research facility such as the ISS. * The expected profile of stakeholders is composed of government organizations, research institutes, universities, and other public organizations. Figure 3: Visualization of each satellite component [57]. Figure 2: EoL \({}^{3}\)ColStar simulations [57]. Equipped with two payloads, this CubeSat aims to advance both scientific understanding and technological capabilities. The primary payload is the MiniPIX TPX3 SPACE sensor device [58], a compact radiation camera engineered specifically for space missions.