AMSAT-EA PocketQubes (GENESIS, EASAT-2, HADES)

Also known as EASAT-2, HADES, GENESIS-L, GENESIS-N, HADES-D, URE

Amateur-radio 1P and 1.5P PocketQubes built by AMSAT-EA and Spanish universities carrying FM/FSK voice and digital repeaters into low Earth orbit.

Document
SQ-MS-005
Updated
Reading time
1 min
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Amateur-radio repeaters inside a 50 mm cube

AMSAT-EA (the Spanish division of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation), working with the Universidad Europea, ICAI and the Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE), developed a continuous series of and PocketQubes dedicated to open amateur-radio transponders[1]:

SpacecraftSizeLaunchMission & outcome
GENESIS-L & GENESIS-N1.5P3 Sep 2021 (Firefly Alpha FLTA001)Carried in Libre Space Foundation's PicoBus; lost when the launch vehicle was terminated during ascent[2].
EASAT-2 (SO-114) & HADES (SO-115)1.5P13 Jan 2022 (Falcon 9 Transporter-3)Released at via AlbaPod; operated as VHF-to-UHF FM voice and FSK repeaters for the global amateur community until re-entering in 2023[3].
GENESIS-G & GENESIS-J1P1 Oct 2022 (Firefly Alpha FLTA002)Reached orbit inside PicoBus and transmitted telemetry before decaying within days from the lower-than-planned injection[4].
HADES-D (SO-121)1.5P11 Nov 2023 (Falcon 9 Transporter-9)Deployed via D-Orbit ION at with an FM repeater, SSTV/digital camera and artistic payload.

Iterative 1.5P platform

By standardizing a compact VHF/UHF cross-band transceiver, CW/ telemetry encoder and burn-wire monopole/dipole deployment board across consecutive flights, AMSAT-EA turned the envelope into a repeatable amateur transponder bus[1].

References

  1. [1]nadir lab. (2026). PocketQube-class picosatellites: architecture, flight heritage, and a multi-method post-flight analysis of Grizu-263A [Preprint]. nadir lab. Research Monographs (SQ-R-001).Read on nadir lab.
  2. [2]Libre Space Foundation. (2026). LSF-PICOBUS PocketQube deployer.libre.space(accessed 20 October 2026)
  3. [3]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)
  4. [4]SpaceNews. (2022). Report on the outcome of Firefly Alpha flight FLTA002.spacenews.com(accessed 20 October 2026)

Cite this SatWiki entry

@misc{nadirlab2026amsat,
  author       = {{nadir lab.}},
  title        = {{AMSAT-EA PocketQubes (GENESIS, EASAT-2, HADES)}},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = oct,
  howpublished = {nadir lab. SatWiki SQ-MS-005 (Rev. 1)},
  url          = {https://nadirlab.space/wiki/amsat-ea-pocketqubes/}
}