Antonio de Nebrija · SO-120 · The first Spanish amateur radio PocketQube — in orbit since June 2023
The first Spanish amateur radio PocketQube, built by AMSAT-EA with the collaboration of the ARIES group at Nebrija University and Hydra Space. Named "Antonio de Nebrija" in honour of the Renaissance humanist after whom the university is named.
A PocketQube is a pocket-sized satellite standard whose base unit (1P) measures 5 × 5 × 5 cm and weighs between 100 and 200 grams. UReSat-1 is a 1.5P model, that is, 5 × 5 × 7.5 cm.
It is even smaller than a CubeSat (whose base unit, 1U, measures 10 × 10 × 10 cm). Thanks to its tiny size, it can be launched as a secondary payload on commercial rockets at a very low cost.
PocketQube 1P: 5×5×5 cm, 100 g — fits in the palm of your hand
CubeSat 1U: 10×10×10 cm, 1 kg — the size of a milk carton
Sputnik 1: 58 cm diameter, 83 kg — the size of a beach ball
| Official name | UReSat-1 / HADES B |
| OSCAR designation | SO-120 (Spain-OSCAR 120) |
| COSPAR ID | 2023-084BU |
| Format | PocketQube 1.5P |
| Dimensions | 5 × 5 × 7.5 cm |
| Mass | ~200 g |
| Power | Solar cells + LiPo battery |
| Propulsion | None (passive) |
| Country | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| TX frequency | 437.500 MHz (UHF) |
| Modes | FM voice + AX.25 APRS |
| Data rate | 300 / 1200 bps |
| TX power | 100 mW (20 dBm) |
| Technology | SDR (Software Defined Radio) |
| Camera payload | SSTV (Brno University, CZ) |
| Role | FM repeater + APRS digipeater |
| Date | 12 June 2023 |
| Vehicle | SpaceX Falcon-9 v1.2 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California (USA) |
| Mission | W-Series 1 (Skykraft 3 Carrier) — rideshare launch |
| Orbit | Sun-synchronous LEO, ~500 km altitude · ~97° inclination |
| Period | ~95 minutes per orbit |
UReSat-1 acts as an FM voice repeater and APRS digipeater for radio amateurs all over the world, and carries an SSTV camera to transmit images from orbit. Its on-board SDR technology gives it great operational flexibility.
The ARIES group (Aerospace Research and Innovation in Engineering and Science) is the aerospace research group of the Higher Polytechnic School at Nebrija University. Its researchers and students work on CubeSats/PocketQubes, space propulsion, aerospace robotics and communication systems.
ARIES contributes systems engineering, payload integration and the training of the participating students.
Hydra Space is a Madrid-based Spanish company specialising in microsatellites and satellite communication services. It works with universities and research centres to democratise access to space.
Hydra Space contributed the PocketQube platform, the integration of the RF communications subsystem and support during launch qualification.
AMSAT-EA (the Spanish amateur radio satellite association) is the main operator of UReSat-1 and coordinated the project with all partners. AMSAT-EA had already launched EASAT-2 and HADES in 2022. UReSat-1 (HADES B) is its second PocketQube and the association's third satellite in orbit.
URE (the Spanish Radio Amateurs Union) supports the project and provides the network of amateur ground stations across Spain for tracking and receiving the satellite.
UReSat-1 orbits the Earth at about 500 km altitude in a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit (LEO). It completes an orbit every ~95 minutes, so it passes over any point in Spain several times a day, although a useful pass (with the satellite above the horizon) lasts only about 10 minutes.
