DIY Nano-Groundstation for STEM Education

Apr 6, 2026 · 2 min read
GNU Radio flowgraph for SUCHAI-4 telemetry decoding
projects

Overview

The DIY Nano-Groundstation 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.

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 SUCHAI-4), and decode live telemetry and beacon data directly in the classroom.

Technical Details

  • Open Hardware & Software-Defined Radio: Utilizes accessible, budget-friendly SDR dongles and custom antenna designs for receiving UHF satellite beacons.
  • Satellite Beacon Decoding: Full pipeline integration for receiving, demodulating, and decoding FSK/GFSK telemetry packets from active CubeSats such as SUCHAI-4.
  • Educational Hands-on Workshops: Interactive training sessions for high school teachers and students, covering satellite orbital mechanics, radio frequency fundamentals, and embedded signal processing.

People Involved & Collaborators

  • Team Members:

    • Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes (SCY-FI Lab / USACH)
    • Claudia Villa (SCY-FI Lab / USACH)
    • Loreto Castro (Liceo Bicentenario de San Nicolás)
    • Rodrigo Campos (Liceo Bicentenario de San Nicolás)

  • Collaborators & Funding:

    • SCY-FI Lab (Computer Engineering Department - DIINF, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH)
    • Vicerrectoría de Vinculación con el Medio (VIME) - Universidad de Santiago de Chile
    • Liceo Bicentenario de Excelencia Polivalente San Nicolás

Links & Resources

Space Systems Groundstations STEM Education Open Hardware Satellite Communications
Dr. Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes
Authors
Dr. Carlos Gonzalez-Cortes
Principal Investigator
Professor in the Computer Engineering Department at the University of Santiago of Chile (USACH). He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Chile and has extensive experience in embedded systems, nanosatellites, and flight software. Previously, he developed the SUCHAI family and PlantSat nanosatellites at SPEL, and worked at the Flight Software Department of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Carlos is passionate about pushing the boundaries of distributed space systems and satellite flight software architectures.