The Communications Subsystem ensures that the SmallSat Research Lab can send and receive data from its satellites.

Photo of our patch antenna and radio.

The Communications Subsystem (COMMS) is solely responsible for communication between the satellite and the ground. Our team is crucial in receiving information on how the satellite is doing while in orbit. To do this, we maintain and develop two pieces of C++ software: one for the ground station and one for the satellite's communications service. Most of our work consists of designing, coding, and testing both systems. We are responsible for developing the Link Budget, a document that accounts for the gains and losses of the exchanges of signals between the ground station and the satellite, and the Data Budget, a document that accounts for the amount of data we are able to exchange between the ground station and the satellite. Communication happens over two radios, both communicating to separate computers in order to package, transmit, and receive the data. We have a partnership with the Aerospace Corporation to test their radio hardware as well as use their network of ground stations upon orbit. Any researchers who are interested in radio frequency (RF) hardware will get the chance to work closely with our radios and antennas as well as develop communication C++ software.