#spaceresilience

By Seda Hewitt

Failure. It's not the first word you'd expect to hear in a conversation about space. But if you've ever worked on a PocketQube satellite—or really any small spacecraft—you learn quickly that failure isn’t the exception. It’s the starting point.

At Interstellar Communication Holdings Inc., our work with small satellites like HADES‑ICM has taught us a lot about performance, engineering trade-offs, and launch logistics. But more than that, it’s taught us something deeper about resilience—both in the systems we send to orbit and the people who build them.

Because here’s the truth: when you build something that’s meant to survive space... you don’t design it to be perfect. You design it to fail gracefully.

The Nature of the Beast

PocketQubes are tiny. 5x5x5 cm, give or take. That’s less room than most people’s morning coffee cup. And yet, inside that cube, we try to pack processors, sensors, antennas, batteries, radios... sometimes even cameras.

And then we launch it on a rocket.

It’s stressful—physically and emotionally. These satellites are jolted, frozen, heated, spun, and then left to fend for themselves in orbit. There’s no reboot button. No mechanic. No second chance.

So how do you prepare for that? You assume something will go wrong.

Not If. But When.

This shift in mindset—expecting failure rather than fearing it—changes everything.

It affects how we:

Design systems: Modular components can be isolated if one fails. Redundancy is added where it counts. We might even omit a feature entirely if it introduces unnecessary risk.

Write software: Code is kept lightweight, robust, and able to recover from errors without human intervention.

Run tests: We simulate not just ideal behavior but failure conditions—partial power, dropped packets, bad temperature readings.

During the HADES‑ICM project, we had to scrap an early power distribution design because it couldn't handle brownout scenarios gracefully. It didn’t just fail—it failed loudly, taking other subsystems with it. That experience forced us to re-engineer with a new principle: contain the chaos.

Embracing Limited Lifespan

Most PocketQubes don’t stay active for years. Some last months. Some weeks. Occasionally, only days.

And while it’s tempting to mourn the short lifespan, there’s something beautiful about it too. These aren’t spacecraft designed to endure forever. They’re meant to be temporary. Agile. Disposable, even.

But if we know they might fail... then we also know we can afford to try bold things. New antennas. Novel protocols. Experimental data routes.

Failure becomes part of the success.

Stories from the Sky

We once received a signal report from a radio enthusiast halfway across the globe. A single data packet from HADES‑ICM had been received—clean, crisp, perfect. The next day, we got nothing.

What happened? We still don’t fully know. A power cycle glitch? Cosmic radiation? Thermal creep? Maybe all three.

But the mission wasn’t a failure. That single packet proved the system worked. Even if only briefly. It taught us something. And in the world of PocketQubes, one clean signal is worth its weight in gold.

Why Resilience Matters Beyond Satellites

Here’s where things get a little more philosophical.

Working on small satellites teaches a kind of humility. You plan for success, yes. But you also make peace with loss. And that mindset—the acceptance of imperfection, the embrace of iteration—is something I think all technology teams can learn from.

We don’t have to make indestructible systems. We have to make recoverable ones.

The same applies to teams. Deadlines slip. Components break. Code fails in space but works fine on Earth. You keep going anyway.

And perhaps this is why I’m particularly proud that Interstellar Communication Holdings Inc., based in the United States, is nominated for the 2025 Go Global Awards—to be held this November in London, hosted by the International Trade Council.

That event isn’t just about shining successes. It’s about resilience. About stories of persistence and the courage to try again. It brings together companies large and small from around the world—not just to celebrate, but to share lessons, form partnerships, and create new opportunities.

In many ways, it reflects the spirit of micromissions and PocketQubes—small, scrappy, optimistic. Resilient.

Final Thought

Designing for failure isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a form of strength.

It says: we know the risks. We’re not afraid of them. We’ll build anyway.

PocketQubes remind us that you don’t need to be flawless to be valuable. A short mission can still carry long-lasting insight. A single beacon can prove a theory. And even when things break, there’s meaning in the process.

Source: Nasa

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have completed their post-mission rehabilitation following an unexpectedly extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for an eight-day test mission, the duo remained in space for over nine months due to complications with the spacecraft. Since their return to Earth in March, both NASA astronauts have undergone the standard 45-day physical recovery regimen required after long-duration missions, aimed at helping their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity.

Wilmore, 62, noted that returning to gravity brought with it a series of physical challenges, including balance and neurovestibular issues, common among NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Rejoin Earthly Duties After Extended Starliner Mission astronauts after long missions. “Gravity stinks for a period,” he joked, adding that recovery times vary for everyone. Williams, 59, echoed the sentiment, sharing that muscle fatigue and disrupted sleep patterns marked her return to terrestrial life. Only recently has she begun to feel like herself again, waking early and regaining energy.

The astronauts have been working closely with NASA’s medical and strength training staff for at least two hours daily to rebuild their physical fitness, while also resuming professional responsibilities related to the Starliner program and NASA’s spaceflight initiatives.

Starliner Delays and Impact on NASA Astronauts Operations

The Starliner capsule’s propulsion issues not only extended the astronauts’ mission but also forced NASA to return the spacecraft to Earth without a crew. The problem prompted NASA to integrate Wilmore and Williams into the ISS’s standard crew rotation, significantly altering their original mission timeline.

Boeing, already under scrutiny for previous delays and technical setbacks with Starliner, has incurred approximately $2 billion in charges on the program. This includes a $410 million uncrewed mission conducted in 2022, following an earlier test failure in 2019. The current state of the spacecraft and its readiness for crewed missions remains under evaluation.

Both NASA and the astronauts are now considering whether Starliner should undergo another uncrewed test before carrying humans again. Williams supports this cautious approach, citing examples from other spaceflight programs such as SpaceX and Russia’s Soyuz, which also flew multiple uncrewed missions before putting astronauts aboard. “It seems like the logical thing to do,” Williams stated, underscoring the importance of ensuring safety and reliability.

Next Steps for Starliner and NASA’s Evaluation

As Boeing works to resolve the Starliner’s technical shortcomings, the future of its crewed missions hangs in the balance. NASA has indicated that results from Starliner’s upcoming summer tests will be critical in determining whether it is ready to transport NASA astronauts again. These tests will play a key role in NASA’s final decision, as safety remains the agency’s top priority.