An Open-Source UHF Ground Station Design for Nanosats

Abstract

The Missouri S&T Satellite Research Team’s (M-SAT) design entry into the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Nanosat-8 program has indicated that existing commercial ground station options have proven to be cost prohibitive for university missions demanding high downlink budgets. The development of an open sourced, ground station design that could be implemented across participating universities provides an alternative to existing commercial options. An automated ground station network provides a closed network capable of accommodating large downlink budgets commonly found program participants. Further, the development of a reference ground station design would increase design reliability and provide a foundational platform for students to introduce additional communication capabilities.