Mission Update: Successful Fine Pointing Tests with QUBE

10.10.2024

Last week, QUBE’s LEOP reached a significant milestone with fine pointing tests successfully tracking our Ground Station in Würzburg. A few minutes before the overpass, QUBE’s ADCS transitioned into fine pointing mode, configuring all necessary sensors, filters, controllers, and actuators. When first contact was established, QUBE was already pointing toward our ground station!

QUBE maintained its tracking for the entire duration of the overpass without any disturbances. Thus, a critical step in verifying the fine pointing mode was successfully passed.

The collected data are now carefully compared with Hardware-in-the-Loop tests conducted before satellite delivery to calibrate and optimize attitude performance. We’re excited to keep pushing forward and continue with LEOP to collect more in-orbit data in upcoming experiments to further optimize the satellite’s performance.

Qube Mission Collaboration

This project is the result of a close partnership between Zentrum für Telematik e.V. and several key collaborators, including Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR Institut für Kommunikation und Navigation, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Together, we accumulated the necessary interdisciplinary expertise in an excellent way to advance the frontiers of quantum communication and satellite technology. We also want to extend a special thanks to Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung for their outstanding support in making this mission possible.