SUCHAI 4

SUCHAI 4 [SPEL]

SUCHAI 4 (Satellite of the University of Chile for Aerospace Investigation 4) is a 5 kg nanosatellite developed by the University of Chile's Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences as the latest mission in the university's SUCHAI program. Building on the experience gained from the SUCHAI, SUCHAI-2, SUCHAI-3, and PlantSat missions, the satellite will serve as an autonomous orbital laboratory, carrying nearly 60 scientific and technological experiments to advance Chile's capabilities in space technology, communications, and space science.

The mission will demonstrate a wide range of technologies within a single spacecraft, including plasma and cold-gas propulsion systems, precision attitude control, laser communications, LoRa-based radio communications for collecting data from remote terrestrial regions, and biological experiments involving microorganisms. The satellite will also evaluate new sensing technologies and instruments designed for operation in the space environment.

A key objective of SUCHAI-4 is the demonstration of high-precision attitude control. The satellite incorporates reaction wheels, magnetorquers, cold-gas thrusters, and plasma thrusters working together with multiple attitude determination sensors to achieve fine pointing accuracy. This capability will support experiments requiring precise orientation, including the operation of a compact ultraviolet telescope and an optical laser communication terminal for Earth links.

The spacecraft carries a diverse scientific payload, including a telescope operating from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared spectrum, magnetometers, particle detectors, and experimental graphene-based transistors. Flight operations are managed by reprogrammable onboard software developed in collaboration with the University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), providing the flexibility to update and adapt mission operations throughout its lifetime.