Open positions 2024

Here you can find the open positions for students available at UPC NanoSat Lab, last updated in May 2024.

Position title	Description	Keywords	Recommended studies
S-Band positioning upgrades	The positioning control of a satellite ground station allows for the uninterrupted pointing to the satellite during the transit of the satellite over the ground station. This allows for the maximum directivity of the antenna to be achieved, improving the communications link. Smooth motion of the antenna, and precise determination of the current Elevation and Azimuth are key to provide small movement jitter, and consequently interruptions in communications. Developments towards a smoother movement and absolute encoders for the S-Band and UHF ground stations will be carried out.	Positioning, Absolute encoders, PID, Software control	Telecommunications, Industrial, Electronics
Advanced TinyGS - an open ground station for LoRa communications	Upgrade of an open source ground station for PocketQubes communicating using LoRa. The upgrade will include a new 2x2 antenna array, the positioner, and a control software.	Positioning, Antennas, Electronics, Ground Station	Telecommunications, Electronics, Aerospace
Frequency-diversity systems for robust ionospheric propagation	Ionospheric scintillation are fast intensity and phase fluctuations of the signals when transversing the ionosphere. These effects are very important at equatorial and polar latitudes and difficult radiocommunications, notably at VHF and UHF bands. These fluctuations are partially correlated in space and frequency, so they can be mitigated by using multiple antennas, or multiple frequency bands. In this study we will analyze the ionospheric propagation channel and derive optimum band selection algorithms for robust transionospheric propagation.	Telecommunications, Radio-Frequency, Signal Processing	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 X-band Power Amplifier: Caracterization and Implementation	3Cat-8 will carry a X-band transmitter to be able to download payload data with high data rates. The work will consists on proposing a Power Amplifier design and characterizing its performance. Additionally, the interface board of the X-band subsustem will need to be reworked.	Radio-Frequency, Electronics, PCB design	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Communications software: LoRa ISL	In a Federated Satellite System (FSS) unused resources are shared among different partners. Initially planned for the FSSCat mission, an FSS experiment will be performed between 3Cat-8 and two PocketQubes. They will be inter-connected through LoRa IoT communications. In this work, previous developments of LoRa communications will be implemented in the 3Cat-8 spacecraft.	Software, Communications, Internet of Things	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Camera Control	The polarimetric and multi-spectral aurora imager will be formed by a Bayern-type multi-spetral camera with a rotating polarizer in front of it located in one of the two "tuna cans". This TFG/TFM will focus in the control of such rotation motor, so that images are acquired when the polarizer is at particular angles, so that the first three Stokes elements can be properly computed.	Mechanical, optical, hyperspectral	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Deployment system (Electronics)	3Cat-8 will host a series of deployable systems: a large Fresnel Zone Plate antenna, PocketQube dispenser, solar panel and monopole antennas. In this work, the deployment electronic boards will be implemented, based on previous developments of the NanoSat Lab. The architecture of the deployment systems will be common, and different form factors will have to be designed adapted to the spacecraft's architecture.	Electronics, PCB design	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Electronics Interface and Sensors boards	In order to interface all the 3Cat-8 subsystems and payloads, an electronic subystem interface is required to provite the required communications protocols and supply lines.	Electronics, PCB design	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Electrical Ground Support Equipment	During the design, manufacturing, integration and testing, the different components of a spacecraft must be able to be accessed from an operations center or development computer. To do so, an electronic interface is usually designed to act as the bridge between the satellite and the computers. In this work, the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) of 3Cat-8 will be designed and implemented.	Electronics, PCB design	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Antennas: X-band, S-band, UHF, LoRa	3Cat-8 will have several communications subsystems: X-band, S-band, UHF and LoRa. This work will focus on the design of the antennas for all communicatons.	Radio-Frequency, Antenna, Electronics, PCB design	Telecommunications, Electronics
3Cat-8 Solar panels (Electronics)	3Cat-8 will have a combination of fixed and deployable solar panels. In this work the PCBs of the solar panels will be designed according to the architecture of the Electrical Power Subsystem and the Power Budget of the satellite, and considering the inclusion of different sensors and the mechanical limitations of the deployable solar panel.	Electronics, PCB design	Telecommunications, Electronics, Industrial
PQ OBC software	Based on previous Advanced Engineering Project (PAE) student work, and using a low power STM 32 microprocessor, the OBDH, ADCS and Communications system (Space-to-ground and inter-satellite links) will be finalized and integrated all together.	Software, C++, C	Telecommunications, Computer Science
Satellite Orbital Simulator development	UPC Nanosat Lab facilities uses a Helmholtz Coils and a Light Canon to test the satellite and to simulate the environmental parameters of the magnetic fields and sun vector in order to test and calibrate ADCS subsystem, and to test power subsystem functionalities (batteries duty cycle) within orbital situation. Develope a stand-alone operational software that simulates the actual orbital values to control the coils and light canon input values, and integrate an autonomous actuators control with an embedded solution.	Matlab, C++, C, Linux, Electronics, Orbital mechanics	Telecommunications, Computer Science, Aerospace
FPGA-based miniaturized reflectometer for Pocketqubes	GNSS-Reflectometry is a remote sensing technique that acquires a known signal after its reflection, obtaining important geophysical measurements. New developments of Pocketqube-based Earth Observation payloads are underway to provide a low-cost efficient implementation of a reflectometer with open source FPGAs. Future PoCat's will include new GNSS-Reflectometry Earth Observation payloads, in which the lab has a long-lasting experience and demonstrated flight heritage. The next challenge is to implement such systems in a 2P PocketQube.	FPGA, Linux, RF, Signal Processing	Telecommunications, Electronics, Aerospace
S-Band Satellite Ground Station adaptation for Uplink	The Montsec S-Band Ground Station has historically worked only in S-Band downlink, both in commercial and amateur bands. After the addition of uplink capabilities, there is a need to create the control software for the transmission RF Chain, and the logic behind it.	FPGA, SDR, Linux, RF, Power Amplifiers, LNA, distributed software	Telecommunications, Electronics.
3Cat-4 Ground Station and Operations Support	Provide support in the UHF Ground Station for 3Cat-4 and in the mission operation, as well as final phases of the testing campaigns.	Ground Station, Operations	Telecommunications, Electronics, Aerospace