Space Systems

CubeSat
LEO Platforms

Cuantico is developing space-adapted VPX processing and quantum sensor subsystems for Low Earth Orbit CubeSat missions — from ISR and SIGINT payloads to in-orbit QKD and GPS-denied magnetic navigation.

3U / 6U / 12U CubeSat SOSA Aligned QKD Optical Link Radiation-Tolerant LEO Qualified
Platform Architecture

CubeSat Frame & Module Stack

EnduroSat base chassis · Cuantico QKD & AI submodules · Click any module to inspect

LEO ≈ 550 kmLEO ORBIT TRACKQKD ISL · BB84RF DownlinkREMOTE SATGND STNSOLARSOLARANTSRFCUQKDOBCCUAIEPSBATADCS3UEnduroSat Base Frame340 mm100 × 100 × 340 mm · max 4 kgEnduroSat 3U Frame · Cuantico QKD + AI Modules▸ CU = Cuantico proprietary moduleUHF/VHF AntennaTT&C · 9.6 kbps · deployable whipS-Band TransceiverEnduroSat SatCom-1 · 1 Mbps DL · CCSDSQKD Optical ModuleCuantico · BB84 · 1310 nm SM · SPAD RxOn-Board ComputerEnduroSat OBC3 · Zynq UltraScale+AI Payload ModuleCuantico · Jetson AGX Orin · 32 TOPSElectrical Power Sys.EnduroSat EPS · 28 VDC · MPPT solarBattery PackLi-Ion · 40 Wh · 4S2P · heater ctrl.ADCSEnduroSat · 3-axis magnetorquer + MTQTRANSMISSION LINKSQKD ISL — Quantum Key Distr. · BB84/E91RF Downlink — S/X-Band · Payload DataTT&C — UHF/VHF · 9.6 kbpsQiSPS — Passive magnetic survey (3U)
LEO ≈ 550 kmLEO ORBIT TRACKQKD ISL · BB84RF DownlinkREMOTE SATGND STNSOLARSOLARANTXRFSRFCUQKDOBCCUVPXCUAIEPSBATACS6UEnduroSat Base Frame340 mm100 × 226 × 366 mm · max 12 kgEnduroSat 6U Frame · Cuantico QKD×2 + VPX + AI Stack▸ CU = Cuantico proprietary moduleUHF/VHF + GPS AntennaTT&C · 9.6 kbps · GPS L1/L2 dual patchX-Band TRXEnduroSat · 100 Mbps HSP payload DLS-Band TRXEnduroSat SatCom-1 · TT&C + UL · CCSDSQKD Module ×2Cuantico · BB84 · 1310 nm + 1550 nm dual λOBC + Mass StorageEnduroSat OBC3 · Zynq + NVMe 512 GBVPX Processing CardCuantico · Versal ACAP · VITA 46/65AI Inference ModuleCuantico · Jetson AGX Orin · 32 TOPSEPSEnduroSat EPS · 28 VDC · dual MPPTBattery PackLi-Ion · 80 Wh · 4S4P · eclipse ratedADCS + Star TrackerEnduroSat · 3-axis · 0.1° pointing acc.TRANSMISSION LINKSQKD ISL — Quantum Key Distr. · BB84/E91RF Downlink — S/X-Band · Payload DataTT&C — UHF/VHF · 9.6 kbpsQiSPS — Passive magnetic survey (6U)
LEO ≈ 550 kmLEO ORBIT TRACKQKD ISL · BB84RF DownlinkQiSPS Mag. Survey ↓REMOTE SATGND STNSOLARSOLARANTXRFSRFCUQKDCUQNTOBCCUVPXCUAIEPSBATACS8UEnduroSat Base Frame340 mm226 × 226 × 340 mm · max 16 kgEnduroSat 8U Frame · Cuantico Full QKD + VPX + QiSPS Suite▸ CU = Cuantico proprietary moduleUHF/VHF + GPS Ant.TT&C · GPS L1/L2/L5 · deployableX-Band HSP TRXEnduroSat · 1 Gbps payload downlinkS-Band TRXEnduroSat SatCom-1 · TT&C + uplinkQKD Transceiver ×2Cuantico · BB84+E91 · 1310+1550 nm ISLQiSPS NV MagnetometerCuantico · fT/√Hz · magnetic surveyOBC + Mass StorageEnduroSat OBC3 · Zynq + NVMe 1 TB enc.VPX ProcessingCuantico · Versal ACAP + UltraScale+AI Inference ModuleCuantico · Jetson AGX Orin · 32 TOPSEPS + CU1 FilterEnduroSat EPS + Cuantico CU1 EMI inlineBattery + PropulsionLi-Ion 120 Wh + cold-gas micro thrusterADCS + Star TrackerEnduroSat · 3-axis · 0.05° precisionTRANSMISSION LINKSQKD ISL — Quantum Key Distr. · BB84/E91RF Downlink — S/X-Band · Payload DataTT&C — UHF/VHF · 9.6 kbpsQiSPS — Passive magnetic survey (8U)
ANT
UHF/VHF Antenna
TT&C · 9.6 kbps · deployable whip
XRF
X-Band TRX
EnduroSat · 100 Mbps HSP payload DL
SRF
S-Band Transceiver
EnduroSat SatCom-1 · 1 Mbps DL · CCSDS
QKDCuantico Module
QKD Optical Module
Cuantico · BB84 · 1310 nm SM · SPAD Rx
QNTCuantico Module
QiSPS NV Magnetometer
Cuantico · fT/√Hz · magnetic survey
OBC
On-Board Computer
EnduroSat OBC3 · Zynq UltraScale+
VPXCuantico Module
VPX Processing Card
Cuantico · Versal ACAP · VITA 46/65
AICuantico Module
AI Payload Module
Cuantico · Jetson AGX Orin · 32 TOPS
EPS
Electrical Power Sys.
EnduroSat EPS · 28 VDC · MPPT solar
BAT
Battery Pack
Li-Ion · 40 Wh · 4S2P · heater ctrl.
ADCS
ADCS
EnduroSat · 3-axis magnetorquer + MTQ
ACS
ADCS + Star Tracker
EnduroSat · 3-axis · 0.1° pointing acc.

Platform Specifications

Development programme — specifications subject to mission configuration

Form Factor 3U / 6U / 12U CubeSat compatible
Orbit LEO — 300–2000 km altitude
Input Power 28 VDC (regulated), 3.3V / 5V / 12V rails
Processing Xilinx Versal / Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC
Interfaces PCIe Gen4, SpaceWire, MIL-STD-1553, CAN, UART
Thermal Conduction-cooled — space vacuum qualified
Radiation Radiation-hardened optical isolators, SEE-tolerant design
Standards PC/104, CubeSat Kit, ISIS structure compatible
Encryption Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) optical transceiver option
Mass TBD — optimised for SWaP-C
Subsystems

Platform Capabilities

Space-Grade VPX Processing

Ruggedised 3U VPX processing modules adapted for space environments — radiation-tolerant design, vacuum-compatible conduction cooling, and SEE-mitigation for LEO operation.

  • Xilinx Versal ACAP or Zynq UltraScale+ space-grade processing
  • SOSA-aligned modular architecture — scalable across 3U/6U/12U platforms
  • Conduction-cooled chassis — no moving parts, vacuum-compatible
  • SpaceWire, PCIe Gen4, and MIL-STD-1553 interface support
  • Radiation-hardened optical isolators in all signal paths

Quantum Sensing for LEO Satellites

QiSPS-derived quantum sensor subsystems adapted for CubeSat integration — enabling GPS-independent navigation, magnetic anomaly detection, and quantum-secure inter-satellite links.

  • NV magnetometer arrays for magnetic field mapping from orbit
  • GPS-denied navigation: quantum magnetic + MEMS INS dead-reckoning
  • Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) inter-satellite optical link
  • VITA 66.5 optical I/O for sensor interconnect in-satellite
  • Miniaturised QiSPS sensor dome module for CubeSat bus

Power Subsystem

Miniaturised VITA 62-derived power supply modules and inline EMI filters adapted for the CubeSat power bus, supporting both 28 VDC and low-voltage regulated outputs.

  • Miniaturised rugged DC/DC converter — VITA 62 profile derivative
  • Inline EMI/EMC filter (CU1 IP) for satellite power bus cleanliness
  • EPS interface: compatible with standard CubeSat 3.3V / 5V / 12V rails
  • Hold-up capacitor bank for eclipse-phase power continuity
  • MIL-STD-704F transient protection on all primary inputs

AI Edge Inference On-Orbit

GPU-accelerated AI inference module for on-orbit data processing — enabling autonomous anomaly detection, compression, and tactical decision support without ground-station latency.

  • GPU/AI accelerator module for on-orbit ML inference
  • Sensor Fusion Engine: EKF/SLAM/ML — same IP as QiSPS ground systems
  • Autonomous anomaly detection and event-driven downlink prioritisation
  • Neuromorphic processor integration roadmap for ultra-low-power AI
  • Secure data logger: NVMe/SATA on-orbit storage with encryption
Mission Profiles

Applications

ISR
Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance from LEO
Quantum Comms
QKD inter-satellite and ground-satellite optical links
Magnetic Mapping
NV magnetometry for geomagnetic field surveys
SIGINT
RF signal intelligence collection in LEO
Navigation
GPS-denied magnetic navigation reference satellite
Technology Demo
In-orbit validation of quantum sensing payloads

CubeSat Programme Enquiries

This programme is in active development. We welcome mission-specific discussions with satellite integrators, defence agencies, and LEO constellation operators.

Contact the Space Team