Date of Award

Spring 2026

Access Type

Thesis - ERAU Login Required

Degree Name

Master of Systems Engineering

Department

Electrical, Computer, Software, and Systems Engineering

Committee Chair

Bryan C. Watson

Committee Chair Email

watsonb3@erau.edu

First Committee Member

Julianna Gesun

First Committee Member Email

gesunj@erau.edu

Second Committee Member

M. Ilhan Akbas

Second Committee Member Email

akbasm@erau.edu

College Dean

James W. Gregory

Abstract

This thesis investigates the role of Biologically Inspired Design (BID) in satellite engineering and examines how existing BID methods can be introduced into a student CubeSat design context. The study addresses three questions: the current extent of BID applications in satellite engineering, how BID tools may be introduced into the satellite design process, and how student satellite teams interact with those tools when applying them to subsystem-level challenges. To address these questions, the research combines a scoping literature review with a workshop-based case study conducted within Project COMET, a student-led CubeSat mission at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The literature review found that BID applications in satellite engineering remain limited, unevenly distributed across subsystems, and concentrated mainly in early- and mid-stage development. Across the included studies, BID appeared most often in areas such as structures, thermal applications, ADCS/GNC, and selected communications-related functions, while other subsystem areas remained comparatively underexplored. The review also identified gaps in maturity, lifecycle integration, and structured methods for translating biological analogies into satellite engineering practice.

To investigate practical introduction of BID, this thesis organized existing methods into a three-workshop sequence: functional decomposition, analogical transfer using AskNature, and contradiction resolution using BioTRIZ. The workshop results showed that participants were able to engage meaningfully with BID when it was introduced through a structured, stepwise process tied to real subsystem responsibilities. Across the sequence, participants generally developed conceptual understanding more readily than full applied proficiency. Functional decomposition supported problem framing, analogical transfer supported biological concept exploration, and BioTRIZ supported early-stage refinement of promising ideas. At the same time, abstraction, principle extraction, and concept translation remained recurring challenges.

Overall, the findings suggest that BID can be introduced productively into student satellite design as a structured systems engineering support process, rather than as an isolated creativity exercise. The study concludes that BID shows promise in satellite engineering, but that broader use will require additional practice, stronger guidance, and deeper integration into later design activities.

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