QUBIK is LSF’s series of 1.5p PocketQube picosatellites built as a reusable, fully open platform for Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) identification, Doppler-based orbit determination and amateur radio experiments. Four units have flown to date, with more manufactured.
What LSF does
LSF designs and develops the full QUBIK bus — structure, EPS with deployable solar panels, UHF COMMS, OBC and flight software — alongside the ground-segment flowgraphs and identification/tracking algorithms that let the global SatNOGS Network participate in each LEOP campaign. All hardware and software is published openly on LSF’s GitLab.
Where we’re going
QUBIK validates that distributed, crowd-sourced radio-ranging can identify and track small satellites immediately after deployment, which directly feeds into Space Situational Awareness work now embodied in PHASMA. The platform is intentionally reusable so every new launch opportunity reproduces the same open-source bus with refined payloads.
Where the project stands
QUBIK-1/2 lost on Firefly Alpha FLTA001 (2021-09-03) maiden-flight failure; QUBIK-3/4 flown on FLTA002 ‘To The Black’ (2022-10-01), both decayed 2022-10-03 after ~2.5 days as predicted. QUBIK-5 and QUBIK-6 flight models are in stock awaiting a launch opportunity.
Milestones
- 2019-12 — QUBIK mission announced
- 2020-11 — QUBIK-1/2 flight models ready
- 2021-09-03 — QUBIK-1/2 lost on Firefly Alpha maiden flight
- 2022-10-01 — QUBIK-3/4 launched on Firefly Alpha FLTA002, deployed via PICOBUS
- 2022-10-03 — QUBIK-3/4 re-entered as planned
- 2024-2025 — QUBIK-5/6 flight models manufactured and awaiting launch
Links
License
Hardware: CERN-OHL v2; Software: GPL-3.0