LSF returns to orbit with new mission featuring open hardware pico-satellites an...

Libre Space Foundation is proud to announce that it is currently developing and integrating 2 pocketqube satellites (QUBIK-1 & QUBIK-2) and supplying a pocketqube deployer (PICOBUS) to be flown as part of the DREAM payloads program on the inaugural Firefly Alpha launch from Firefly Aerospace. 

An exploded view of the QUBIK satellites

Scheduled for launch around the end of the first quarter 2020 we are delighted to be taking part in this exciting mission.

QUBIK mockup inside the clean box

The LSF contributors have been busy developing both the pocketqubes from scratch as well as the innovative deployment system that features a constant force spring design and, of course, all developments are being carried out using open source methodologies and licenses.

The satellites are expected to be short-lived with only ~3 weeks of predicted orbit lifespan. This short timeframe will be enough though for the communications experiment they are tasked to perform. Specifically, the satellites will be conducting a series of telecommunication related experiments, while at the same time, ground station analysis of the received signals will try to exploit doppler variations in order to perform orbit determination and satellite identification from radio amateur stations around the world. The telecommunication experiments will use several different modulation, coding and framing schemes, with the intention to provide insights about their performance at nano-pico-satellite missions. In addition, the frame itself will be organized in such a way so spacecraft identification can be performed as early as possible from the physical layer.

The brains of the QUBIK satellites will be the open source pocketqube format Communications board designed by LSF

You can follow along with the progress of our development in the relevant repositories or subscribe to Libre Space Foundation channels (LSF Forum Twitter Facebook ) for updates!

QUBIK spinning on Earth before it gets to spin in orbit!

It’s a tight timeframe of only 4 months from inception to delivery and the team is working incredibly hard to design, build and test all the parts for this mission while being on track to deliver the satellites and deployer on time for integration and ready for launch, helping us further our mission to claim space the libre way.

Per Liberum, Ad Astra!

QUBIK Engineering model inside LSF cleanbox