Kubos Unveils Operating System for Small Spacecraft

A NanoAvionics-designed CubeSat. NanoAvionics has signed a distribution deal with Kubos. Photo: NanoAvionics.

Kubos has announced the release of KubOS 1.0, which according to the company is the first complete, end-to-end software solution for small spacecraft. The operating software can be downloaded from the Kubos website, and Kubos is encouraging users and developers to join the community to improve the open-source product.

This release is also Kubos’ first major product that has been tested by and supports the On Board Computer (iOBC) from Innovative Solutions in Space.

Kubos has stated it hopes the software will become the default industry operating system. In the past year, it has signed distribution deals with three nanosatellite manufacturers: Innovative Solutions in Space, NanoAvionics, and Pumpkin.

Packaged into an integrated distribution, KubOS 1.0 is comprised of three parts: a customized operating system (RTOS or Linux), Kubos’ Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), and Kubos Core flight middleware. KubOS RT and KubOS Linux provide the satellite runtime and Application Programming Interface (APIs) that unlock common satellite functionality such as telemetry, command and control, subsystem and ground station communications, and remote software updates. The company also offers the Hopper Test Bed, a development and testing environment available remotely to the satellite industry.