PROPOSAL
Cubesat LoRa module
LoRa is a long range, low bandwith networking protocol widely used in Internet of Things projects, sensor networks, low power, low cost and embeded systems. LoRa’s encoding schema allows for extremely long distance communications with small power usage and small simple antennas. This combination of features has made it attractive to small satellite operators flying cubesats and LoRa is now routinely used to connect small ground based nodes to satellites, typically for remote sensor network deployments.
Furthermore within the small satellite community LoRa is now being used as the primary network connection for small satellites, providing a network for both control and telemetry. A distributed community network of low cost LoRa stations using the TinyGs network are able to provide impressive coverage to cubesat LoRa operators.
In this project we would like to develop a LoRa module for inclusion in a future small satellite mission, and investigate and experiment with different on satellite LoRa approaches that we have in the lab. The LoRa approach is currently used in the PyCubed opensource educational satellite system and fortcoming mini-Py-cubed pocketqube form factor satellites.
ITU is a partner of the Danish Student Cubesat Program, DISCOSAT. ITU launched our first satellite DISCO-1 into Low Earth Orbit in April 2023 and we will launch a second DISCO-2 in 2024. In this project you will evaluate the LoRa technology for inclusion in a future DISCOSAT satellite, and may be able to test the module in a high altitude balloon