HYPE Spacecraft

A selfie stick for stellar snapshots with an OLED screen. A spectroscope to observe vegetation and atmospheric water content.

HYPE is a Polish 1p PocketQube satellite, developed and assembled entirely in-house by the SatLab AGH student team and the Space Technology Centre at AGH University of Krakow.

The satellite’s primary payload is a one-of-a-kind selfie-stick, featuring a camera module mounted on a deployable boom. This camera faces a 240×240 LCD screen that displays images uploaded from the ground station. By showcasing those images in orbit, the team seeks to inspire and amplify educational efforts that highlight the accessibility of space.

In addition to its photographic capabilities, HYPE carries a miniature near-infrared spectrometer operating in the 640–1050 nm range. This instrument enables experimental, large-area mosaic spectrometry of Earth’s surface, enabling monitoring of light pollution, tropical forests and volcanic eruptions.

The main goal of the HYPE mission is to highlight the potential of student-driven space initiatives and establish a foundation for future satellite projects at AGH University of Krakow. The name "HYPE" encapsulates the team’s enthusiasm and ambition to spark excitement, inspire others and show that space is within reach.

Missions:

1. Enhancing public understanding of space and encouraging students in our country to undertake space related initiatives. We plan to achieve this through: Conducting hands-on workshops for the youth to spark their interest in space and amateur radio. Activities will include lectures on satellites—their functions, construction, and communication methods. Participants will have the opportunity to build a simple Yagi antenna and use it to transmit a group photograph to our spacecraft. This photo will then be displayed and photographed in orbit, all under the guidance of a licensed amateur radio operator. Increasing public awareness by leveraging social media and the spacecraft's selfie camera and screen. One example campaign involves partnering with non-profit organizations to display photos, provided by individuals who donate a certain amount to their cause, on the satellite screen. This approach aims to utilize our equipment to do something good for the world. We are open for further discussion about what types of campaigns will be allowed and creating guidelines on what can or can’t be shown on screen.
2. Gaining practical experience in operating scientific instruments on satellites through practical experiments, such as Earth's spectroscopy in the visible and near-infrared spectrum using an onboard spectrometer. The data collected will be made available on our website. 3. In orbit validation of a spacecraft completely developed by students, including a communication subsystem where we want to experiment with downlink with different baud rates and forward error correction to gain knowledge of satellite communication in practice.
3. Enhancing our team knowledge of the practical aspects of satellite missions, preparing for future satellite projects at our university.
4. Promoting satellite-related amateur radio activities

HYPE AGH is a 1P PocketQube by SatLab AGH, a student club from AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, and the first PocketQube from Poland. It features a UV-VIS spectroscope to analyse light pollution, volcanic ash, and forest degradation, plus a camera and OLED screen for "space selfies" with Earth in the background. This project offers students valuable experience and serves as a scientific and educational tool. 

SatLab AGH is a student scientific organization whose goal is the construction of CubeSat nanosatellites at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. Our members come from many university faculties, jointly creating a technical and scientific background for real-life space missions. The first project implemented since 2022 is the creation of an observation satellite equipped with a hyperspectral camera.