22 March 2021: Soyuz-2.1a / UniSat-7 Deploys SMOG-1 (MO-110), Argentina’s DIY-1 (Arduiqube) and Sapienza’s 6P STECCO
Launched from Baikonur on 22 March 2021, the Italian UniSat-7 mothership released three PocketQubes in orbit: Hungary’s 1P SMOG-1, Argentina’s DIY-1, and 6P STECCO.
On 22 March 2021, a Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat-M rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying the CAS500-1 primary payload and 37 rideshare satellites, including Gauss Srl’s UniSat-7 microsatellite mothership.
Once in orbit, UniSat-7 ejected three PocketQubes: BME Budapest’s 1P SMOG-1 (designated MO-110), which measured DVB-T UHF television band interference globally while comparing flexible polyimide solar cells against standard GaAs cells and testing a high-magnetic-loss casing to accelerate rotational detumbling.
Alongside SMOG-1, Argentina’s DIYSatellite team commissioned DIY-1 (Arduiqube, 1P, designated DO-111), and Sapienza University of Rome’s GAUSS lab deployed the 6P STECCO laser-ranging retroreflector platform.
CELESTRAK SATCAT & TELEMETRY RECORD
Verified Spacecraft Key Facts & Orbital Dossier
| Spacecraft | Class | Operator / Country | Launch & Vehicle | NORAD / COSPAR | Orbit & RF Downlink | Catalog Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMOG-1 | 1P | BME HU | Soyuz-2.1a · UniSat-7 | NORAD 47964 2021-022AJ | Decayed | |
DIY-1 | 1P | DIYSatellite group AR | Soyuz-2.1a · UniSat-7 | NORAD 47963 2021-022AH | Decayed | |
STECCO | 6P | Sapienza Univ. of Rome IT | Soyuz-2.1a · UniSat-7 | NORAD 47962 2021-022AG | Decayed |
Catalogued Mission Summaries & Flight Notes
- SMOG-1 (1P, 2021):
- 1P without a separate frame: its circuit boards and threaded rods carry the loads. Its published thermal model is a reference for 1P design.
- STECCO (6P, 2021):
- 6P, 850 g: the first PocketQube with cube-corner reflectors for satellite laser ranging, stabilized by gravity gradient with a viscous damper.