FOSSASat-1 LEO PocketQube satellite

FOSSASat-1 LEO PocketQube satellite is operated by Fossa Systems from Spain. It was the company’s first satellite (1P, 5cm Qube weighing under 250g) and was launched on December 6^th, 2019, on an Electron KS launcher operated by Rocket Lab with their ‘Running Out of Fingers’ mission. The Pico-satellite is one of the smallest satellites ever launched into space and will provide free and open source IoT communications for the globe using inexpensive LoRa modules.

Fossa Systems is a privately held leading aerospace company that develops Pico-satellites for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) services. The company also offers low-cost PocketQube launch opportunities and PocketQube design, in-house manufacturing and testing.

On July 8th, 2021 the company signed an agreement with Berlin-based Exolaunch for the launch launch two PocketPOD deployers, carrying a total of eight PocketQube satellites onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Several PocketQube customer satellites, WISeKey, a cybersecurity, AI, and IoT company from Switzerland and the CShark Pilot-1 2P Earth Observation and IoT Satellite, will be flying on this mission. Five of which will be using the FOSSASat-2E high performance picosatellite platform. The satellites were launched on January 13^th, 2022 with the Transporter-3 mission from SpaceX.

On May 25^th 2022 the company launched another eight satellites, FOSSASat-2E6, -E7, -E8, -E9, -E10, -E11, -E12 and -E13. The satellites were orbited with the Vigoride VR03 space tug, operated by space logistics company Momentus, with a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX on its fifth SmallSat Rideshare Program mission, Transporter-5, orbiting 59 small spacecraft for various customers such as LEO satellite operators GHGSat, ICEYE, FOSSASat and satellite manufacturer Tyvak. The Vigoride VR-03 space tug m failed to release seven of its nine satellite payloads. Two of its passenger spacecrafts, FOSSAT-2E–11 and FOSSAT-2E-12, were released and the other seven satellites (FOSSAT-2E-7, -8, -9, -10, -13, Veery-Hatchling and Selfiesat) remain stuck on the Vigoride-3 (VR 3). The satellites had to be counted as total losses. 

FOSSASat-1 LEO PocketQube satellite

FOSSASAT-1-cube

Rocket Lab launcher lifts off LEO satellites

FOSSASat-1-in-orbit

FOSSASat-1 LEO PocketQube satellite