Satellite Identification Beacon System for PocketQube Mission

PocketQube class satellites are gaining popularity nowadays. The concept of a cheap spacecraft is ideal for universities on a budget because they can teach students how to design, build and operate a real satellite in space. Although, the number of these satellites grow, the mission success rate is under 5%, so most of them are orbiting Earth as space debris, with dimensions close to the resolution of NORAD’s radars, so they are quite difficult to track. Even if the launch is successful and the satellite is operational, the orbit estimation is quite inaccurate during the first few weeks, which can cause loss of telemetry data. In this article the satellite identification beacon system of MRC-100, a 3-unit PocketQube is described, providing accurate position data about the spacecraft in order to determine orbit information from the beginning of the mission.