Novosibirsk State University to Build Satellite for Testing Advanced Communications Systems
The satellite is being developed under the UniverSat program, run by Russian state space corporation Roscosmos in partnership with leading technical universities across the country.
Novosibirsk State University (NSU) is set to develop a 16U small satellite to test advanced data transmission technologies, the university recently announced.
According to university representatives, the spacecraft is designed to carry several types of experimental equipment. The payloads are to be installed in collaboration with the university’s technology partners, Gonets Satellite System JSC and the Research Institute of Precision Technology (NIITP). The NSU team will equip the satellite with an in-house-developed, multiband onboard transponder operating in the P, VHF and S bands to demonstrate space-based communications services.
Data collected during the mission could help the partner companies develop next-generation multi-satellite systems.
Specialized Training
Building a satellite is only part of the effort. NSU plans to offer a free continuing education program titled “Development, Testing and Operation of Onboard Satellite Equipment.” It is designed for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students who want hands-on experience with small spacecraft. The program covers the entire development cycle, from concept development and systems engineering for onboard systems to integration and ground testing in preparation for launch. The specialized course is scheduled to run through December 2026 and conclude with a three-day hackathon.
“Teams will receive the orbital parameters of a hypothetical small spacecraft and an engineering challenge that brings together several topics: orbital mechanics, attitude control, payload management and data transmission to a ground station. Over three days, participants are expected to work in teams and take on the role of specialists responsible for operating a small spacecraft,” explained Vitaly Prokopyev, head of NSU’s Department of Aerospace Research.
The new satellite will be the fourth spacecraft built at the Novosibirsk university. Its three predecessors, NORBI-1, NORBI-2 and NORBI-3, have all been successfully placed in orbit.
A Proven and In-Demand Satellite Format
Small satellites are currently among the most widely used types of spacecraft. They support Earth observation and the testing of emerging technologies. Compared with conventional satellites, they are cheaper and simpler to build, and universities can develop them on campus. Work in this field has been underway for several years.
In March 2021, two spacecraft developed under Russia’s Space Pi science and education project were launched from Baikonur. St. Petersburg Polytechnic University was among the project’s participants, which gave school and university students the opportunity to help develop space experiments using domestically developed technologies. In August 2022, another 16 spacecraft were launched under the same project.
NSU’s three earlier satellites were launched between 2020 and 2024. The first carried equipment to monitor heliogeophysical parameters in near-Earth space. NORBI-2 later carried the SOL solar telescope to study the Sun’s corona. The satellite was also used to test components of space-based Internet of Things technology. NORBI-3 focused primarily on monitoring radiation conditions for Russia’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, known as Roshydromet.
The successful operation of another NSU satellite is expected to have significant practical value. Advanced communications systems are essential to bringing digital services to remote parts of Russia, among other applications. The technology and experience gained through this mission could help address that strategic challenge.
