Small satellites. Serious engineering.
ORSA is a space research association. We design and test small satellites and robotic vehicles, and publish what we learn so students and institutions can build on it.
Our missions
NOVIS-1
2U CubeSatA complete small-satellite system in the 2U CubeSat envelope, built for ground testing and teaching. It is the platform for our research.
Mission overview →
NIRVAN
Nano Intelligent Robotics and Vehicle Autonomy NetworkA small rover and a CubeSat, designed to work together as one network.
Mission overview →What we're working on
Our research asks one question: how much satellite can you build from affordable, off-the-shelf parts? Each study uses the hardware inside NOVIS-1.
Low-cost onboard computing
ActiveSplitting satellite tasks across two Uno-class boards and a NodeMCU, and testing how reliably they share data.
Attitude sensing
ActiveUsing the MPU6050 to estimate how the satellite is oriented and how it is moving.
Environmental sensing
ActivePressure, temperature and humidity logging with BMP280 and DHT11, including altitude from pressure.
Position tracking
ActiveLogging location and time from a NEO-6M receiver and comparing it with the altitude estimate.
Imaging payload
ActiveCapturing frames with the OV7670 within the memory limits of small microcontrollers.
Solar power on a budget
ActiveCharging from four mini solar cells through a Li-ion charging module, with USB power on the bench.
NIRVAN
Nano Intelligent Robotics and Vehicle Autonomy Network
A small rover and a CubeSat, designed to work together as one network. NIRVAN builds on what we learned from NOVIS-1.
Explainers from the learning hub
What is a CubeSat?
Sizes, standards, and why small satellites opened up access to space.
How a satellite knows which way it faces
Accelerometers, gyroscopes and the MPU6050.
Measuring altitude with air pressure
How a pressure sensor turns into an altitude estimate.
Powering a small satellite
Solar cells, batteries and what happens in Earth's shadow.
Satellites, Earth and the deep sky
Stephan's Quintet, imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope.
How we label hardware, data and images
Every mission, reading and picture on this site carries one of these labels.
Planned hardware that is still being designed. Nothing with this label has been built yet.
Working engineering or educational hardware, built and tested on the ground. Not qualified for spaceflight.
Generated data, models or renders used for demonstration and teaching. Never presented as real readings or photos.
Hardware that has passed the testing required for launch. No ORSA hardware carries this label yet.
Research with ORSA.
Research partnerships, workshops and student projects.
Credible engineering. An open door for learners.
Stephan's Quintet · James Webb Space Telescope
Make satellite engineering hands-on
Put real CubeSat systems in the hands of students, makers and institutions through kits, documentation and open learning.
A generation that builds for space
A future where building and understanding small satellites is part of every engineering education.
Our story
ORSA's first mission, NOVIS-1, is a 2U CubeSat built as an engineering project. Building it showed how much of satellite engineering can be learned with affordable microcontrollers, common sensors and lightweight materials.
That project became the foundation for an organisation with three pillars: research that pushes low-cost CubeSat design forward, products that let others build the same systems, and learning material that explains every step.
Capabilities
- CubeSat structure design and prototyping (1U–2U)
- Embedded avionics with Uno-class boards and ESP8266 (NodeMCU)
- Sensor integration: GPS, IMU, pressure, temperature and humidity
- Low-resolution imaging payloads
- Solar charging and USB power systems
- Wi-Fi telemetry and ground dashboards
- Workshops and curriculum support
Mission team
ORSA missions
From a CubeSat built for the ground to a rover and a satellite that work as one network.
NOVIS-1
2U CubeSatA complete small-satellite system in the 2U CubeSat envelope, built for ground testing and teaching. It is the platform for our research.
Mission overview →NIRVAN
Nano Intelligent Robotics and Vehicle Autonomy NetworkA small rover and a CubeSat, designed to work together as one network.
Mission overview →
NOVIS-1
NOVIS-1 packs a complete small-satellite system into the 2U CubeSat envelope. It is built for ground testing and teaching, and it is the reference design for the ORSA kits.
| Subsystem | Component | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 5 mm sunboard panels, plates and sensor deck, 4 threaded rods with nuts | 2U body, 10 × 10 × 22.7 cm envelope |
| Communications | NodeMCU (ESP8266) | Wi-Fi link that sends telemetry to the ground dashboard |
| Onboard computing | Uno-class board × 2 (ATmega328P) | Read sensors and run the onboard logic |
| Navigation | NEO-6M GPS | Position, altitude and UTC time |
| Attitude | MPU6050 | 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope |
| Environment | BMP280, DHT11 | Pressure, temperature, humidity; altitude estimate |
| Payload | OV7670 camera | Low-resolution imaging (up to 640 × 480), looking through the top plate |
| Power | Custom 18650 1S4P Li-ion battery pack, Li-ion charging module, mini-USB module, 4 mini solar cells | Energy storage, charging, external power and solar input |
Inside NOVIS-1
This is the real NOVIS-1 model. Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a part to see what it does. Explode the stack or hide the panels to look inside.
Every NOVIS-1 component is in the model: the sensor deck with the GPS, IMU, BMP280 and DHT11 modules, the GPS antenna under the top plate, and the custom 18650 1S4P battery pack on the bottom plate. Sensor and battery positions show our recommended layout; your own build may differ.
Satellites and Earth
Space imagery and illustrations. Pictures of hardware that ORSA did not build are labelled as illustrations. Select an image to view it full size.
Kits, parts & models
Everything inside NOVIS-1, sold as complete kits or individual parts. Add items to your cart and send an order request. We confirm price, stock, shipping and payment by email.
Order request
Send us your cart and delivery details. We'll confirm the total, stock and payment by email before anything ships.
Learn satellite engineering, one module at a time
Horsehead Nebula · James Webb Space Telescope
What a CubeSat is
Sizes, standards, and why small satellites changed access to space.
The sensors inside
How a satellite knows where it is, which way it faces, and what is around it.
Build and test
Assemble a kit, wire the sensors and stream telemetry to a dashboard.
Short reads on the systems inside a CubeSat
What is a CubeSat?
A CubeSat is a small satellite built from standard cube-shaped units. One unit, written 1U, is 10 cm on each side (11.35 cm tall including rails). Units stack: a 2U CubeSat like NOVIS-1 is 10 × 10 × 22.7 cm.
Because the size is standardised, CubeSats can share launch deployers and use off-the-shelf parts. That is why universities and schools can now build satellites that once needed a national space agency.
Measuring altitude with air pressure
Air pressure drops as you go higher. A barometric sensor such as the BMP280 measures pressure in hectopascals (hPa), and the standard-atmosphere formula turns it into an altitude estimate:
P is the measured pressure and P₀ is the sea-level reference, usually 1013.25 hPa. Weather changes P₀ from day to day, so set it from a local reference for better accuracy.
How a satellite knows which way it faces
An inertial measurement unit (IMU) such as the MPU6050 combines an accelerometer, which senses acceleration including gravity, and a gyroscope, which senses how fast it is rotating.
On the ground, gravity tells you which way is down, so you can estimate tilt. The gyroscope fills in fast movements. Combining both, for example with a complementary filter, gives a steadier estimate than either sensor alone.
How GPS finds your position
GPS satellites broadcast their position and a very precise time. A receiver like the NEO-6M measures how long each signal took to arrive, works out its distance from at least four satellites, and calculates its position, altitude and the current time.
The module reports this as text sentences in the NMEA format, which a microcontroller can read over a serial connection.
Powering a small satellite
Small satellites run on rechargeable batteries topped up by solar cells. When the satellite is in sunlight the cells charge the battery through a charging circuit. In Earth's shadow, the battery keeps the electronics running.
NOVIS-1 stores its energy in a custom 1S4P pack: four 18650 Li-ion cells in parallel, so the pack stays at one cell's voltage (3.7 V nominal) with four times the capacity. A mini solar cell on each side panel and a mini-USB module feed it through the Li-ion charging module.
Documentation
| Document | For | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOVIS-1 assembly manual | 2U CubeSat kit | — | In preparation |
| Wiring diagram | Avionics pack | — | In preparation |
| Firmware and example sketches | Uno / NodeMCU | — | In preparation |
| Component datasheet links | All modules | — | In preparation |
Telemetry dashboard
Altitude estimate from pressure
last 60 samples · 2 s · simulatedEvent log
How much satellite can you build from off-the-shelf parts?
Crab Nebula · multi-wavelength composite
Low-cost onboard computing
ActiveSplitting satellite tasks across two Uno-class boards and a NodeMCU, and testing how reliably they share data.
Attitude sensing
ActiveUsing the MPU6050 to estimate how the satellite is oriented and how it is moving.
Environmental sensing
ActivePressure, temperature and humidity logging with BMP280 and DHT11, including altitude from pressure.
Position tracking
ActiveLogging location and time from a NEO-6M receiver and comparing it with the altitude estimate.
Imaging payload
ActiveCapturing frames with the OV7670 within the memory limits of small microcontrollers.
Solar power on a budget
ActiveCharging from four mini solar cells through a Li-ion charging module, with USB power on the bench.
Development notes
Open a channel
Questions about a kit or an order, a workshop, a research idea or a custom build. Send a message and we reply by email.
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Returns & refunds
Return window, condition requirements and refund method: to be confirmed. Components damaged in transit will be replaced; send photos within a few days of delivery so we can help.
Safety
Kits contain small parts and electronics, and some require soldering. Builders under 14 should work with adult supervision. Use eye protection when soldering and disconnect power before rewiring.
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