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FossaSat-1 is a 1P PocketQube satellite project from FOSSA Systems, designed to explore low-cost LoRa communications for the Internet of Things (IoT). Its compact 5 × 5 × 5 cm, approximately 250 g design and openly published hardware and software also make it a learning reference for satellite engineering. It is not a conventional CubeSat, and the project’s goal of free global IoT communications should be understood as its intended concept—not as a guarantee of a currently available service.
What is FossaSat-1?
FossaSat-1 is an open-source 1P PocketQube, a very small class of satellite. FOSSA Systems described it as an educational and research spacecraft intended to make satellite development and experimentation more accessible to students, schools, companies, and individual contributors.
The project README framed its communications goal as providing free, open-source IoT communications using inexpensive LoRa radio modules. FOSSA’s official history likewise describes the project as an open-source LoRa IoT repeater developed with contributions from around the world. That describes the mission’s purpose; it does not establish that a global IoT service is available today.
How small is it, and what is its design?
The project describes FossaSat-1 as a 5 × 5 × 5 cm spacecraft weighing about 250 g. That 1P PocketQube form factor is substantially smaller than the CubeSat format often used in educational satellite projects.
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- SX1262-LoRa-DTU is a wireless data transfer unit with RS232, RS485 and RS422 interfaces based on the SX1262 module. 850 ~ 930MHz frequency, applicable to Europe, North America and Oceania. Adopts LoRa Modulate and Demodulate technology, with the advantages of anti-interference and long-distance communication (up to 5KM). Supports point-to-point, point-to-multipoints, relay network, AES, etc.
- The LoRa Spread Spectrum Technology: Compared to traditional communication, LoRa Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technologies greatly improve the performance of long-range communication and anti-interference, widely used in military and industrial communication fields.
- Multiple communication methods:Can Be Set Via Software: Stream transfer mode, Packet transfer mode. AT Command Mode:Users can query the current status of the module or set parameters by sending AT commands.
- Relay Networking:The radio station can realize multi-level relay networking, suitable for ultra long-range distance or complex environment networking communication, allows multi networking on the same region.
- AES Communication: The secret key is writable but unreadable, the devices with the encrypted transmission enabled and the same key can communicate with each other normally for greater security.
Its published design emphasizes simplicity and accessibility. The README describes deployable solar cells and passive stabilization elements. The flight-computer concept is based on an ATmega and Arduino-style development, while the radio design uses LoRa, including LoRa RTTY telemetry. The project says its signal could be received using simple, inexpensive hardware, although the available project description does not specify a complete current receiving setup or all of the information needed to reproduce one.
How was FossaSat-1 meant to use LoRa?
LoRa is a low-power, long-range radio technology. FossaSat-1 applied it to a small-satellite communications concept: a spacecraft could relay IoT-related communications while also transmitting telemetry that enthusiasts and students could explore with accessible radio equipment.
The README said students could communicate with the satellite for under EUR 20 using inexpensive LoRa modules. Treat that figure as the project’s stated educational-cost target, not a current, complete equipment price: it does not identify a bill of materials, date, or all the components a particular ground station would require. The project also emphasized LoRa RTTY telemetry, but the published summary alone is not enough to determine current reception details such as operating configuration or whether transmissions can presently be heard.
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- 【Application Areas】Home security alarm and remote keyless entry; smart home and industrial sensors; wireless alarm security system; building automation solutions; industrial wireless remote control; advanced meter reading architecture (AMI); automotive industry applications.
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What can students and developers learn from the project?
FossaSat-1 is useful as an open design reference even apart from whether its original spacecraft can still be contacted. The project published hardware and software and invited outside contributions. Its guidance stresses reliability because a spacecraft cannot be maintained after launch, and asks hardware contributors to use KiCad or broadly interpretable formats so others can inspect and adapt the designs.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Embedded systems: Study the ATmega/Arduino flight-computer concept and the constraints of software intended to run on an unserviceable spacecraft.
- Radio and ground stations: Explore the project’s LoRa and LoRa RTTY approach, while recognizing that the brief published description is not a complete present-day receiving manual.
- Spacecraft engineering: Examine how a very small platform combines power generation, passive stabilization, radio, and flight computing.
- Open engineering: Review how public hardware and software, accessible file formats, and contributions can support educational collaboration.
An ATmega- or Arduino-compatible development board can help a learner study the general flight-software approach, and an SX127x LoRa module is a relevant accessory for learning about the radio concept. Neither item should be treated as flight-qualified or as sufficient, by itself, to receive the satellite.
When did FossaSat-1 launch?
The project repository initially targeted a Q3 2019 launch. A launch-history reference lists FossaSat-1 as a payload on Rocket Lab’s Electron mission on 6 December 2019. The available project information does not establish the original spacecraft’s current operational status or provide a definitive operational-lifetime statement, so the launch date alone is not evidence that it remains active.
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- RFM95W 915Mhz - LoRaTM Ultra Long Range Wireless Transceiver (functionally comparable to SX1276)
- The RFM95W transceivers feature the LoRaTM long range modem that provides ultra-long range spread spectrum communication and high interference immunity while minimizing current consumption.
- Using Hope RF’s patented LoRaTM modulation technique RFM95W can achieve a sensitivity of over -148dBm using a low cost crystal and bill of materials.
- The high sensitivity combined with the integrated +20 dBm power amplifier yields industry leading link budget making it optimal for any application requiring range or robustness.
- LoRaTM also provides significant advantages in both blocking and selectivity over conventional modulation techniques, solving the traditional design compromise between range, interference immunity and energy consumption.
How is FossaSat-1 different from FOSSASAT-1B?
FOSSASAT-1B is a separate mission, not another name for the original FossaSat-1. Its official repository describes a modified second-generation 1P satellite and records an October 2022 launch followed by re-entry after two days because of a low insertion altitude.
| Mission | What the project records | Status information available |
|---|---|---|
| FossaSat-1 | Original 1P PocketQube project; listed on an Electron launch on 6 December 2019. | The available project information does not establish its current operational status. |
| FOSSASAT-1B | Modified second-generation 1P satellite; launched in October 2022. | Its official repository says it re-entered after two days because of low insertion altitude. |
What FossaSat-1 does—and does not—tell you about satellite IoT today
FossaSat-1 is best understood as an early, open educational experiment in compact satellite design and low-cost LoRa communications, rather than as proof of an operating global network. FOSSA Systems’ current satellite overview describes its later LEO platforms in terms of secure IoT and RF-payload connectivity beyond terrestrial coverage. Those later offerings belong to the company’s subsequent work; they should not be conflated with the original FossaSat-1 mission.
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