Date: March 2026
Amount: TBD

The Universidad Catolica Boliviana Scientific Society is working to expand access to aerospace technology in Bolivia by creating a student-operated satellite ground station in Batallas. The project addresses a current coverage gap in the global SatNOGS network and provides a hands-on learning environment where students can work directly with real satellite communications systems.

With this grant, students will build and operate a ground station designed to track and communicate with Low Earth Orbit satellites. The system will use a LimeSDR transceiver, a high-precision rotator, and an open source software stack based on Linux and GNU Radio for signal processing and AX.25 decoding. The station’s high-altitude location, around 4,000 meters above sea level, was selected to reduce RF noise and improve communication performance.

Once operational, the station will support the Waskiri-Sat mission by receiving telemetry for natural disaster monitoring. It will also serve as a training platform where students manage the full lifecycle of the system, from setup to daily operations, helping them develop practical skills in RF communications, signal processing, and satellite tracking.

Learn more at: https://lpz.ucb.edu.bo/la-u-c-b-gana-un-lugar-en-un-cohete-espacial/.