Grizu-263A

Also known as Grizu, YM2VRZ, NORAD 51025, 2022-002AT

Türkiye’s first PocketQube: a 237 g 1P built by the Grizu-263 Space Team of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, launched on Transporter-3 in January 2022. It operated for 628 days with passive magnetic attitude control, dual-rate UHF telemetry and a digipeater.

Document
SQ-MS-001
Updated
20 Oct 2026
Reading time
9 min
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Background#

Grizu-263A was developed by the Grizu-263 Space Team of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (ZBEÜ), a student team founded in 2016 whose earlier work centred on CanSat-class projects. The team and the satellite are named after the 263 miners who lost their lives in the firedamp explosion at the Kozlu coal mine in Zonguldak on 3 March 1992[1]. Work on a modular PocketQube platform began at the end of 2018; after about two years of development the flight model was delivered to the launch provider in October 2020[2]. Grizu-263A was the first PocketQube from Türkiye; the second, Hello Space’s 1P Istanbul, followed in 2023.

Objectives#

The mission was a technology demonstration with an amateur-radio service. Its objectives were to[1]:

  1. design, build and operate a spacecraft able to perform the basic functions of a satellite within a 1P envelope;
  2. demonstrate a modular core bus to which payloads can be added without changing the core subsystems;
  3. characterize the in-orbit behaviour of the passive magnetic attitude control and the efficiency of the power system through , current and voltage telemetry;
  4. give radio amateurs worldwide openly decodable telemetry, -observation opportunities and a that relays short messages uplinked from the ground.

The uplink was deliberately minimal: besides digipeater messages, the spacecraft accepted a command to change the telemetry period and the transmitter shut-down command required in the amateur-satellite service.

Outcome at a glance#

Grizu-263A lifted off on 13 January 2022 on the SpaceX Transporter-3 and operated until its re-entry on 3 October 2023: 628 days, about 9500 revolutions, well beyond the expected year of active operation. Its primary communication objective was met, with telemetry received and shared by stations around the world; both downlink modes were still being received in several countries between 29 September and 1 October 2023, days before re-entry[1].

References

  1. [1]nadir lab. (2026). PocketQube picosatellites: A review of standards, mission trends and miniaturization constraints, with lessons learned from Grizu-263A, Türkiye’s first PocketQube [Preprint]. nadir lab.Read on nadir lab.
  2. [2]Grizu-263 Space Team. (n.d.). Grizu-263A. Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University.grizu263.beun.edu.tr(accessed 20 October 2026)
  3. [3]Kaitai Project. (n.d.). Kaitai Struct: a declarative language for describing binary data structures.kaitai.io(accessed 20 October 2026)
  4. [4]Libre Space Foundation. (2026). SatNOGS DB: Grizu-263A (NORAD 51025).db.satnogs.org(accessed 20 October 2026)
  5. [5]Libre Space Foundation community forum. (2022). SpaceX F9 Transporter-3, 2022-01-13 15:25 UTC (discussion thread).community.libre.space(accessed 20 October 2026)
  6. [6]NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. (n.d.). Observed monthly 10.7 cm solar radio flux.services.swpc.noaa.gov(accessed 20 October 2026)
  7. [7]NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. (2019). Solar Cycle 25 forecast update.spaceweather.gov(accessed 20 October 2026)
  8. [8]NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. (2023). NOAA forecasts quicker, stronger peak of solar activity.spaceweather.gov(accessed 20 October 2026)

Cite this SatWiki entry

@misc{nadirlab2026grizu,
  author       = {{nadir lab.}},
  title        = {{Grizu-263A}},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = oct,
  howpublished = {nadir lab. SatWiki SQ-MS-001 (Rev. 1)},
  url          = {https://nadirlab.space/en/wiki/grizu-263a/}
}