Mission Experiments

The experiments for this mission focus on in-orbit technology demonstration, aimed at testing the performance of instruments and equipment under real operational conditions to establish their "heritage," or operational credibility in space. Such missions are of high value to companies within the space sector, and the UPMSat-3 team, as part of a polytechnic university, has strategically oriented its activities in this direction.

UPMSat-3 will carry the following technological developments: a set of two photonic radiometers designed by the GREMA group at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid for cosmic microwave background measurements without cryogenics; a miniaturized communication transceiver developed by Hydra-Space for citizen science projects with AMSAT, enabling dual-band UHF/VHF communication; a solar panel attachment and deployment mechanism by Arquimea; a complete power system for small satellites from DHV Technology; and various attitude determination and control algorithms developed by IDR/UPM.

Over 50 individuals, including faculty, students, technical and support staff from UPM’s Schools of Aeronautics and Space Engineering, Computer Science, and Telecommunications, are currently collaborating on the satellite, especially students from the Master’s in Space Systems (MUSE) program coordinated by IDR.For integration and testing, IDR/UPM’s facilities in the CIDA laboratories, located in the “Jose Meseguer” building at UPM’s Montegancedo Campus, will be utilized. The campus also houses the ground station for satellite communications and mission operations.