An open-source guide to the galaxy: Our journey with Ariane 6 (38c3)

The 530 tons and 63 meter tall Ariane 6 rocket finally launched on July 9th 2024 carrying our open-source developed payloads – the SIDLOC experiment and the satellite Curium One – into space. SIDLOC tested a new, open, low-power standard for identifying and precisely locating spacecraft whilst our satellite Curium One established an open-source baseline for larger CubeSat systems and allowed us to test a bunch of new technologies. From sourcing a launch opportunity to the final integration onto the rocket at the spaceport in French Guiana we tell you about our biggest challenges and exceptional experiences of this adventure. In this talk members of the Libre Space Foundation will take you on the journey of a rocket's payload: beginning with how the SIDLOC experiment and the satellite Curium One were developed, integrated and finally launched on the Ariane 6 maiden flight into space. 1. **SIDLOC** (Spacecraft Identification and Localization): Developed in collaboration with ESA, SIDLOC aims to improve space safety and mission success rate by establishing an open beaconing standard for spacecraft identification and localization. SIDLOC uses a low power beacon that utilizes the Spread Spectrum modulation and the cross-correlation properties of the Gold sequences, ensuring proper operation in extremely low SNR environments and identification of the transmitting space object. In addition, SIDLOC can provide localization and orbit determination, utilizing the Doppler frequency offset estimation mechanism that it implements. To achieve that, the open and crowd-sourced SatNOGS network is used, contributing to an independent source of orbital elements and spacecraft identifications, disrupting the existing model. The SIDLOC protocol has been implemented in such a way, so it is easy to integrate to a space object, regardless of its size, with minimal effort. 2. **Curium One**: The satellite Curium One is designed to establish an open-source framework for satellite systems. It features 15 newly designed open-hardware PCBs. From solar generators to the on board computer and high frequency communication boards everything was designed, tested and qualified by the community with the help of Planetary Transportation Systems. Its first signal acquisition was performed by the formerly world's largest radio telescope built in 1956 – the 25m diameter Dwingeloo Radio Observatory. We want to tell you about the development and implementation of the core technologies, the biggest challenges we faced during the missions, and the wild jungle experiences at the spaceport in Kourou. We aim to provide an overview of how open-source principles are being applied in space exploration and the benefits and problems of this approach within the space industry. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 about this event: https://events.ccc.de/congress/2024/hub/event/an-open-source-guide-to-the-galaxy-our-journey-with-ariane-6/