<link>https://scyfi-lab.gitlab.io/</link></image><item><title>Ñuble Ciencia Viva Brings Space Technology to San Nicolás High School Students</h1> <article> <h1>Ñuble Ciencia Viva Brings Space Technology to San Nicolás High School Students</h1> <p>Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>Ñuble Ciencia Viva 2026 gathered school students and researchers at the Liceo Bicentenario de Excelencia Polivalente San Nicolás on 21 October. Prof. Carlos González and undergraduate Claudia Villa presented the SUCHAI program, the technical challenges of building Chilean university satellites, and the SUCHAI-4 launch. They also introduced a VIME-funded initiative in which high-school students assemble a portable ground station and receive signals from the satellite, connecting classroom work with the lab’s research at DIINF.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Implementación de los modos de funcionamiento automático en el software de vuelo del nanosatélite SUCHAI 4</h1> <p>Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>DIINF Space: Students Help Put SUCHAI-4 Nanosatellite into Orbit with Critical Flight Software</h1> <p>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:54:19 +0000</p> <p>After the SUCHAI-4 launch, DIINF students were behind critical flight software that keeps the satellite operating in orbit under severe constraints: limited processors and memory, and only about four passes over Santiago per day with windows of five to ten minutes. Lucas Mecías automated operations by sending batches of commands that the satellite executes in sequence, while Josué Mateluna designed the interface used to operate the mission. The rest of the time SUCHAI-4 must run autonomously, with no operator in the loop.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>SUCHAI-4 is Now in Orbit! A Milestone for Chilean Space Research</h1> <p>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> <p>SUCHAI-4 reached orbit at 03:10 Chilean time aboard a Falcon 9, beginning a new stage for Chilean space exploration. The satellite was deployed about 54 minutes after liftoff into an initial orbit at 610 km, then switched on automatically and waited 30 minutes before deploying its antennas. That sequence opened the link with the ground station at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile, followed by verification of onboard systems and the start of the scientific mission.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>SUCHAI-4 Nanosatellite Mission</h1> <p>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> <h2 id="overview">Overview</h2> <p><strong>SUCHAI-4</strong> is a 3U CubeSat nanosatellite (30 × 10 × 10 cm) developed under an inter-institutional collaboration led by the <strong>Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory (SPEL)</strong> at Universidad de Chile, with key software, cybersecurity, and ground system engineering developed by researchers and students from the <strong>Department of Computer Engineering (DIINF)</strong> at <strong>Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)</strong> / <strong>SCY-FI Lab</strong>.</p> <p>Launched successfully on July 7, 2026, SUCHAI-4 acts as a multipurpose orbital laboratory hosting nearly 60 experiments in space physics, biology (extremophiles), Earth observation, and optics.</p> <h2 id="diinf--usach-contributions">DIINF & USACH Contributions</h2> <p>The project was led by SPEL, with the collaboration of academic researchers and undergraduate/graduate students from <strong>DIINF / SCY-FI Lab (USACH)</strong>, who developed key onboard software components, ground control interfaces, and security modules:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Status variables synchronization across OBC</strong>: Developed an algorithm to synchronize the status variables between the many OBCs of the CubeSat (Josué Quileñan). Thesis: </li> <li><strong>Software in the Loop Testing interface</strong>: Developed an SIL testing interface for the SUCHAI-FS to interact with space and operational simulators (such as <strong>HoneySat</strong>) to help testing and validating the SUCHAI-4 Flight Software and the control algorithms early (Felipe Solís). Thesis: </li> <li><strong>Automatic Flight Operation & Scripting</strong>: Developed automated “recipe” execution systems capable of running complex sequential command pipelines autonomously during short orbital communication windows (Lucas Mesías).</li> <li><strong>Ground Control Interface</strong>: Built an intuitive graphical control interface for the SUCHAI Flight Software (SFS), simplifying telecommand transmission and real-time satellite telemetry monitoring (Josué Mateluna).</li> <li><strong>Low-Cost Educational Groundstations</strong>: Developed budget-friendly receiver kits for high schools, enabling students nationwide to receive live telemetry from SUCHAI-4 (Claudia Villa).</li> </ul> <h2 id="people-involved--collaborators">People Involved & Collaborators</h2> <ul> <li> <p><strong>USACH / DIINF Team</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes (Academic Lead)</li> <li>Lucas Mesías</li> <li>Claudia Villa</li> <li>Josué Mateluna</li> <li>Josué Quileñan</li> <li>Felipe Solís</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Collaborating Institutions</strong>:</p> <ul> <li><strong>SPEL</strong> (Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory - Universidad de Chile, Project Lead)</li> <li><strong>SCY-FI Lab</strong> (Department of Computer Engineering - DIINF, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH)</li> <li><strong>Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso</strong></li> <li><strong>Universidad de Antofagasta</strong></li> <li><strong>Universidad Austral de Chile</strong></li> <li>Funding by <strong>ANID</strong> (Fondef, Fondecyt, Anillo)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="links--resources">Links & Resources</h2> <ul> <li>👩‍💻 <strong>SUCHAI-4 Onboard Flight Software Repository</strong>: </li> <li>🛠️ <strong>SUCHAI-4 Telemetry Decoding Tutorial</strong>: </li> <li>🏛️ <strong>USACH News Press Release</strong>: </li> <li>🏛️ <strong>DIINF USACH Press Release</strong>: </li> <li>🏛️ <strong>Universidad de Chile Press Release</strong>: </li> </ul> </article> <article> <h1>USACH Students Behind the Flight Software that Took SUCHAI-4 to Orbit</h1> <p>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> <p>Students and academics from the DIINF at the USACH Faculty of Engineering were part of the team behind the computational systems of SUCHAI-4, launched in the early hours of 7 July. The mission, led by SPEL at the University of Chile, needs a complex software architecture that lets the 3U CubeSat operate autonomously, run experiments and send data back to Earth. The article, published by DIINF Communications, profiles the student talent that turned classroom programming into software running in orbit.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Una interfaz estandarizada de simulación Software-in-the-loop para software de vuelo CubeSat</h1> <p>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>Interview: SCY-FI Lab Lead Discusses SUCHAI-4 Nanosatellite Launch and Mission</h1> <p>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:58:55 +0000</p> <p>DIINF interviewed Carlos González Cortés ahead of the SUCHAI-4 launch, a mission in which the department takes part. The nanosatellite concentrates close to 60 scientific and technological experiments in about five kilograms, from plasma propulsion systems to the cultivation of microorganisms, and was to be launched from the United States in early July. González highlighted Chile’s competitive conditions for this kind of project and pointed to human capital formation as the programme’s most important outcome.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Carlos González Cortés Discusses Nanosatellites and Aerospace AI at IIMCh Space Resources Commission</h1> <p>Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>The Space Resources Commission of the Chilean Institute of Mining Engineers held a working session with Carlos González Cortés, academic at the DIINF of USACH and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Chile. The discussion covered space exploration with nanosatellites, flight software development, the evolution of the satellite industry, megaconstellations, artificial intelligence applied to aerospace systems, and the challenges Chile faces in strengthening its technological independence. The commission is chaired by Marco Muñoz.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Seminar on Nanosatellite Development and Space Exploration at Universidad de Chile</h1> <p>Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>The Department of Electrical Engineering at Universidad de Chile invited Dr. Carlos González to a seminar on nanosatellite development and space exploration, held on Wednesday 3 June at 12:00 in the DIE seminar room. The talk covered applied engineering for space missions, the development of nanosatellites in Chile, CubeSat technology, satellite communications and flight software. Attendance was open, with registration requested only to help organise the activity. The session was aimed at students and researchers working on space systems.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Invited Talk on Space Exploration with Nanosatellites at New Mexico State University</h1> <p>Mon, 18 May 2026 15:37:55 +0000</p> <p>Efrén López hosted Dr. Carlos González Cortés at New Mexico State University, where he delivered the invited talk “Space Exploration with Nanosatellites”. The presentation covered his experience at the Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory of the University of Chile and at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and discussed the design, operation and research opportunities of small satellite missions. The visit strengthens the link between the SCY-FI Lab and NMSU, with both sides looking forward to continuing the exchange.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Sin Manual: USACH Faculty of Engineering Hosts Innovation and Entrepreneurship Exchange</h1> <p>Fri, 15 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>The USACH Faculty of Engineering held “Sin Manual”, a day organised by its Innovation Centre together with the Department of Economics and the Entrepreneurs Club. Students, academics and alumni shared real experiences of innovation and entrepreneurship, with emphasis on trying ideas even when the path is not written in advance. The activity is part of the faculty’s efforts to bring innovation practice into engineering training and to connect the university with the networks that support new ventures.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Sistema descentralizado de sincronización de variables de estado entre computadores a bordo de nanosatélites aplicado al software de vuelo del programa SUCHAI</h1> <p>Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>VIME Fund: Project Will Bring Satellite Ground Stations to High Schools to Strengthen STEM Teaching</h1> <p>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>Dr. Carlos González was awarded a VIME grant for a project that connects high-school STEM groups with real space missions developed in Chile, framed by the low-cost nanosatellite programme that will launch SUCHAI-4 during 2026. The project builds a portable ground station able to capture satellite signals and takes it into classrooms. It responds to an unequal access to space-based STEM experiences among secondary students, and aims to motivate specialisation in STEM careers through hands-on work with locally built space technology and its mission operations.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>Carlos González Cortés Talks About Nanosatellite Space Exploration Challenges at USACH</h1> <p>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>Carlos González Cortés gave a talk at USACH on the engineering challenges and research opportunities of space exploration with nanosatellites built in Chile. He reviewed the history of the small-satellite programme developed at Chilean universities, the scientific and technical constraints imposed by the CubeSat standard, and what it takes to build satellites locally. The session closed with the global trends of the space sector and the ways in which USACH can contribute to space exploration through its students and research groups.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>DIY Nano-Groundstation for STEM Education</h1> <p>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> <h2 id="overview">Overview</h2> <p>The <strong>DIY Nano-Groundstation</strong> is a VIME-funded (Vicerrectoría de Vinculación con el Medio, USACH) outreach and educational initiative aimed at bringing satellite tracking and radio telemetry reception to high school students to foster STEM learning.</p> <p>By developing accessible, low-cost satellite groundstation kits built on open hardware and Software-Defined Radio (SDR) technology, the project empowers high school students and educators to construct their own satellite receivers, track active operational CubeSat missions in orbit (such as <strong>SUCHAI-4</strong>), and decode live telemetry and beacon data directly in the classroom.</p> <h2 id="technical-details">Technical Details</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Open Hardware & Software-Defined Radio</strong>: Utilizes accessible, budget-friendly SDR dongles and custom antenna designs for receiving UHF satellite beacons.</li> <li><strong>Satellite Beacon Decoding</strong>: Full pipeline integration for receiving, demodulating, and decoding FSK/GFSK telemetry packets from active CubeSats such as <strong>SUCHAI-4</strong>.</li> <li><strong>Educational Hands-on Workshops</strong>: Interactive training sessions for high school teachers and students, covering satellite orbital mechanics, radio frequency fundamentals, and embedded signal processing.</li> </ul> <h2 id="people-involved--collaborators">People Involved & Collaborators</h2> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Team Members</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes (SCY-FI Lab / USACH)</li> <li>Claudia Villa (SCY-FI Lab / USACH)</li> <li>Loreto Castro (Liceo Bicentenario de San Nicolás)</li> <li>Rodrigo Campos (Liceo Bicentenario de San Nicolás)</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Collaborators & Funding</strong>:</p> <ul> <li><strong>SCY-FI Lab</strong> (Computer Engineering Department - DIINF, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH)</li> <li><strong>Vicerrectoría de Vinculación con el Medio (VIME)</strong> - Universidad de Santiago de Chile</li> <li><strong>Liceo Bicentenario de Excelencia Polivalente San Nicolás</strong></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="links--resources">Links & Resources</h2> <ul> <li>👩‍💻 <strong>Code Repository</strong>: </li> <li>🛠️ <strong>SUCHAI-4 Beacon Decoding Tutorial</strong>: </li> <li>🏛️ <strong>FING USACH Press Release</strong>: </li> <li>🏛️ <strong>VIME Press Release</strong>: </li> <li>📸 <strong>Instagram Outreach Reel</strong>: </li> </ul> </article> <article> <h1>U. de Chile Leads Team Sending Biological and Technological Experiments to the International Space Station</h1> <p>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>A multidisciplinary team coordinated by SPEL at the University of Chile, and including researchers from USACH, PUCV and Fundación Biociencia, is preparing a payload of technological and biological experiments for the International Space Station. The container will expose the experiments to microgravity and radiation to advance both technology development and the understanding of life in space. The announcement was published on 25 March by the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>HoneySat: Satellite Honeypot Exposes Real Attacks on Space Infrastructure</h1> <p>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>HoneySat, the first functional satellite honeypot, was presented at the Network and Distributed System Security Symposium in San Diego. It uses real ground-segment software to simulate a mission while the space segment is a high-interaction satellite simulator; ten satellite operators tested it and 90 percent could not tell it from a real mission. Once exposed on the internet it collected 22 real commands from attackers, and an in-orbit demonstration connected it to an actual satellite to show it deceives attackers listening on the radio link.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>HoneySat: Network-based Satellite Honeypot Framework</h1> <p>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> <h2 id="overview">Overview</h2> <p><strong>HoneySat</strong> is the first high-interaction satellite honeypot framework designed to convincingly simulate real-world CubeSats and SmallSats exposed over network interfaces. For years, satellite systems relied on security by obscurity under the assumption that indecipherable proprietary architectures provided sufficient protection. However, modern technological advancements have rendered these assumptions obsolete, opening up satellite communications to potential adversarial attacks.</p> <p>HoneySat bridges the critical gap in space cybersecurity by capturing real-world satellite adversarial techniques and collecting threat intelligence to develop robust defensive countermeasures.</p> <h2 id="technical-details">Technical Details</h2> <ul> <li><strong>High-Interaction Simulation</strong>: Convincingly emulates the network interfaces, telemetry protocols, and command execution pipelines of operational CubeSats.</li> <li><strong>Hardware-in-the-Loop Integration</strong>: Validated through real-world hardware-in-the-loop operations successfully communicating with an operational in-orbit SmallSat mission.</li> <li><strong>Threat Intelligence Gathering</strong>: Deployed across the Internet to capture live adversarial behavior, collecting real-world interactions without risking active satellite assets.</li> <li><strong>Operator Validation</strong>: Evaluated with small-satellite operators, achieving a <strong>90% realism rating</strong> among domain experts.</li> </ul> <h2 id="people-involved--collaborators">People Involved & Collaborators</h2> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Maintainers & Authors</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Efrén López-Morales (New Mexico State University)</li> <li>Ulysse Planta (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security)</li> <li>Gabriele Marra (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security)</li> <li>Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes (SCY-FI Lab)</li> <li>Jacob Hopkins (Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi)</li> <li>Majid Garoosi (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security)</li> <li>Elías Obreque (Universidad de Chile)</li> <li>Carlos Rubio-Medrano (Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi)</li> <li>Ali Abbasi (CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security)</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Collaborating Institutions</strong>:</p> <ul> <li><strong>CISPA</strong> (Helmholtz Center for Information Security)</li> <li><strong>New Mexico State University</strong></li> <li><strong>Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi</strong></li> <li><strong>SCY-FI Lab</strong> (Computer Engineering Department, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH)</li> <li><strong>SPEL</strong> (Universidad de Chile)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="links--resources">Links & Resources</h2> <ul> <li>📄 <strong>NDSS 2026 Paper</strong>: </li> <li>🌐 <strong>NDSS Publication Page</strong>: </li> <li>📊 <strong>Presentation Slides</strong>: </li> <li>🎬 <strong>Presentation Video</strong>: </li> </ul> </article> <article> <h1>HoneySat: A Network-Based Satellite Honeypot Framework</h1> <p>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>Student Presents Portable Ground Station Project for STEM Outreach in Schools</h1> <p>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:52:14 +0000</p> <p>On 14 January, Claudia Villa gave her first conference talk at the IV Jornadas En Línea en Educación Superior y STEM, organised by CICES at the USACH Faculty of Engineering. She presented her thesis project on using satellite technology to foster STEM learning in schools through a portable ground station, supervised by Carlos González Cortés and Rodrigo Muñoz Lazo. The plan includes an intervention at the Liceo Bicentenario San Nicolás, an application to the VIME fund to cover three stations, and validation of the equipment with SUCHAI-4.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>SUCHAI Flight Software: Open-Source, Flight-Tested, and Expanding</h1> <p>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:43:26 +0000</p> <p>SPEL and the SCY-FI Lab maintain and evolve the SUCHAI Flight Software, a framework that has already flown several missions and remains central to both groups’ aerospace research. It is hardware-agnostic, with ports to the Nanomind A3200, Raspberry Pi, ESP32 and STM32 processors, and its code is fully open source for audit and reuse. Current work covers state sharing across distributed onboard computers, unified SIL and HIL testing interfaces, hardening of space assets against modern threats, and continuous code quality and performance refinement.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>USACH Team Participates in SUCHAI-4 Software Preliminary Design Review</h1> <p>Tue, 14 Oct 2025 20:05:40 +0000</p> <p>Carlos González joined a group of DIINF students for the Software Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of the SUCHAI-4 mission, developed by the SPEL team at the University of Chile. The review served to discuss the mission’s technical challenges, propose design ideas, and organise the work and collaboration between both institutions. The post was published in Spanish and English and closed with the team’s expectation of seeing SUCHAI-4 in orbit soon.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>DIINF Students Present Thesis Works at U. de Chile SPEL Lab</h1> <p>Thu, 29 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000</p> <p>On 29 May, Josue Quileñan and Felipe Solís, students of Ingeniería en Ejecución en Informática at DIINF-USACH, presented their bachelor thesis work at the Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory (SPEL) of the University of Chile. The session took place within an inter-institutional collaboration with academics from DIINF and from the Electrical Engineering Department of the same university. Presenting undergraduate work in a laboratory that builds and operates nanosatellites is part of the joint training path that links USACH students with the SUCHAI missions.</p> <p>Continue reading: </p> </article> <article> <h1>SUCHAI Flight Software v2</h1> <p>Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000</p> <h2 id="overview">Overview</h2> <p><strong>SUCHAI Flight Software v2</strong> (SUCHAI FS v2) is a highly extensible, modular flight software framework developed for CubeSat nanosatellites and embedded space applications. Evolved from flight-proven software deployed on <strong>SUCHAI-1</strong> (2017), <strong>SUCHAI-2</strong> (2022), <strong>SUCHAI-3</strong> (2022), <strong>PlantSat</strong> (2022), and <strong>SUCHAI-4</strong> (2026). This framework enables rapid development of space missions with heterogeneous teams and multiple payload configurations.</p> <h2 id="key-architecture--technical-features">Key Architecture & Technical Features</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Command Processor Design Pattern</strong>: Decouples command handlers from core dispatchers, allowing developers to register new telecommands and internal routines without modifying core system logic.</li> <li><strong>Multi-OS Layer Support</strong>: Native abstraction layers supporting <strong>FreeRTOS</strong> for embedded microcontrollers (AVR32, ESP32) and <strong>GNU/Linux</strong> for embedded single-board computers (Raspberry Pi).</li> <li><strong>Communication Stack</strong>: Integrated with <strong>LibCSP</strong> (CubedOS Space Protocol) using CAN-bus and ZMQ interfaces for inter-subsystem and ground-station communication.</li> <li><strong>Flight Inheritance</strong>: Inherits field validation from 4 operational nanosatellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).</li> </ul> <h2 id="people-involved--collaborators">People Involved & Collaborators</h2> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Maintainers</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Collaborating Institutions</strong>:</p> <ul> <li><strong>SCY-FI Lab</strong> (Computer Engineering Department, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH) and</li> <li><strong>SPEL</strong> (Electrical Engineering Department, Universidad de Chile) and</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="links--resources">Links & Resources</h2> <ul> <li>👩‍💻 <strong>Code Repository</strong>: </li> <li>🛠️ <strong>Tutorial</strong>: </li> <li>📄 <strong>Publication</strong>: </li> </ul> </article> <article> <h1>Experience</h1> <p>Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>The First Chilean Satellite Swarm: Approach and Lessons Learned</h1> <p>Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>Evaluación de parámetros del método Ensemble Spatial Interpolation y su integración en software de estimación geoestadístico</h1> <p>Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>Nanosatellite Constellation Control Framework Using Evolutionary Contact Plan Design</h1> <p>Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> <article> <h1>An Architecture-Tracking Approach to Evaluate a Modular and Extensible Flight Software for CubeSat Nanosatellites</h1> <p>Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000</p> </article> </main></body></html>