Puchacz

Our second satellite mission. Building on success, reaching for new heights.

Puchacz Mission Patch

Meet Puchacz

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Objective: To demonstrate Earth observation with multispectral imaging, demonstrate optical downlink in orbit, give students hands-on experience with a larger satellite system and provide radio-amateurs society with systems ready to use in future satellite missions.

Following the successful launch of HYPE, we're proud to announce Puchacz - our second satellite mission. This 2U CubeSat represents a significant step forward in our mission to advance Polish space technologies.

Building on the experience and lessons learned from HYPE, Puchacz will carry more advanced payloads and test cutting-edge technologies that push the boundaries of what student-built satellites can achieve.

Satellite Format: 2U CubeSat (10×10×22.7 cm)
Launch Window: 2027
Development: Faculty of Space Technologies AGH

Mission Goals

Puchacz represents a new chapter in SatLab AGH's journey. With a larger form factor and advanced payloads, this mission aims to:

  • Demonstrate Earth observation with multispectral imaging
  • Demonstrate optical downlink in orbit
  • Give students hands-on experience with a larger satellite system
  • Provide radio-amateurs society with ready-to-go solutions in space tested hardware and software implementations

This mission proves that through passion, knowledge and collaboration, we can reach for the stars and make significant contributions to radio-amateurs society and space technology!

Payloads

Earth Imaging Cameras

Puchacz carries two advanced cameras for comprehensive Earth observation:

  • RGB Camera - High-resolution color imaging for detailed visual documentation of Earth's surface
  • Multispectral Camera - Captures data across multiple spectral bands, enabling detailed analysis of vegetation, water quality, land use, and environmental monitoring

These imaging systems will enable scientific research and contribute to Earth observation capabilities from space.

DZIDA - Demonstrator of Zapping Infrared Downlink Apparatus

DZIDA is a compact wide-beam optical communication transmitter flying on Puchacz. The 0.25U payload demonstrates an in-house proof-of-concept laser downlink: an infrared high-peak-power pulsed diode driven by a radiation-hardened FPGA delivers efficient transmission with low average power. Wide-beam design relaxes ADCS pointing requirements and keeps satellite-side cost down, paving the way for robust, energy-efficient optical links on future small satellite missions.

BEAR - Biomaterials Experiment in Astral Radiation

BEAR investigates radiation shielding performance of bio-composite materials in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using a matrix of 12 passive RADFET dosimeters beneath multiple protective layers.

  • Tested shields: bacterial cellulose composites with two concentrations of tungsten and MXene additives
  • Controls: uncovered dosimeters and SigmaLabs reference dosimeters for direct comparison

Orbital data analysis will evaluate material attenuation, LEO exposure variability, and environmental factors (orbital position and solar activity), supporting development of lightweight, bio-based shielding for long-duration human missions.

Contributions to Radio-Amateurs society

As part of our mission we are planning to provide the future Radio-Amateurs satellite missions with ready-to-go solutions in hardware and software, by publishing our:

  • Framework for custom control and command procedures: This will allow future missions to implement a system with minimized required telecommands, where a single short telecommand will be able to trigger a complete sequence of actions on board of the satellite
  • Custom radio hardware: We will provide a ready-to-go and space-tested design of PCB which is dedicated to maintaining communication with Earth, optimized for space resilience
  • Study of different modulations in space: As part of our mission, we are studying how various modulations and transmission protocols behave under space conditions and how much space-resilience we can achieve

Those objectives will contribute to providing a ready-to-go framework for future amateur satellite missions.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions: 10×10×22.7 cm (2U CubeSat)
Mass: <4 kg
Primary Payloads: RGB Camera, Multispectral Camera, DZIDA (optical downlink), BEAR (radiation shielding experiment), Radio-Amateur payload focused on providing ready-to-go solutions
Development Phase: In Progress
Project Status: Active Development