This study presents a performance analysis for an Internet-of-Things wildlife radio-tracking mission using drones, satellites and stratospheric platforms for data relay with Spread Spectrum Modulation devices. The performance analysis is presented with link and data budgets, calculations of the area coverage, an estimation of the time resolution and allowable data amount of each collar, a power and energy budget and consequent battery pack and collar weight estimations, cost budgets, and considerations on synergetic approaches to incorporate more mission segments together. The paper results are detailed with example species to target with each collar weight range, and with design drivers and guidelines to implement improved mission segments.

LEDSAT (LED-based small SATellite) is a 1-Unit CubeSat that will mount Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) on its six faces, in order to validate, verify and improve the current methodologies for optical orbit determination. The LEDs will also support the CubeSat identification after deployment from the ISS. The satellite is being produced by the S5Lab research group at Sapienza - University of Rome, and it has been accepted for the European Space Agency Fly Your Satellite! Programme. Currently, the on-board LEDs have been tested for the UV and gamma-ray radiations, proving their survivability in the space environment. This paper describes the aims, the design, the LED-based payload and the expected results of LEDSAT.

The stratosphere is the highest layer of Earth's atmosphere where aircraft can still fly. Today, the potential of stratospheric vehicles is largely unexploited, but in the future, they will compete with spacecraft in a huge variety of applications. In fact, stratospheric vehicles can provide a valid alternative in several scientific and commercial applications. The extension and validation of radio “Navaids” for the stratospheric flight could set a significant increase in reliability for high altitude navigation system receivers, and a reduction of the stratospheric navigation system development cost. STRATONAV (STRATOspheric NAVigation) experiment is developed by a team of Italian students from Sapienza - University of Rome and Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna. The main goal of the experiment is to test the VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) navigation system by evaluating its accuracy above the estimated Standard Service Volume through an in-situ testing campaign. The STRATONAV team has been selected to participate to the 2016 REXUS/BEXUS Programme cycle 09 by a panel of ESA (European Space Agency) experts. This paper deals with the STRATONAV Experiment concept and its main features, focusing on the main technical and scientific objectives, the expected results, the mechanical set-up and the environmental and structural analyses and testing campaigns.