The Advanced Microsatellites Laboratory (Skoltech Center for Engineering Systems and Sciences) is actively working on a new spacecraft, the “Skoltech-F.” It is built in the 3U+ CubeSat form factor and is intended to represent a step forward for Russian microsatellite technology. 
The uniqueness of the project lies in the completely original SkSP-2 platform, created by the laboratory’s engineers. Its main advantage is the ability to carry a significantly larger payload compared to its predecessor, SkSP-1. In the new version, scientific equipment occupies virtually the entire interior space of the satellite.

The first SkSP-1-based spacecraft, the Skoltech B1/B2 satellites, were launched into space in 2022 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. They successfully passed flight qualification and operated in orbit for two years and three months, completing their mission in October 2024.
The main goal of “Skoltech-F” is to study and improve the reliability of electronic memory in the harsh conditions of space. Space radiation causes malfunctions in microchips, so the task of testing and refining error correction methods becomes critically important.

The satellite is carrying experiments involving various types of memory: MRAM, FRAM, SRAM, and others. During actual spaceflight, these will be tested under conditions of extreme temperatures, voltage fluctuations, and varying data rewriting frequencies. If malfunctions occur, a special algorithm kicks in to attempt to correct the errors and record the results for scientists on Earth.

But the mission isn’t limited to memory testing. The satellite will also be equipped with a digital camera, a high-speed radio channel, and a module for testing perovskite solar cells.

“The spacecraft’s layout, including the entire payload, is now complete,” says one of the project’s developers. “The housing, antenna system, first version of the new-format onboard computer, GPS navigation module, solar sensors, and orientation system flywheels have been manufactured. Work is proceeding in parallel on the battery pack, amplifiers, and radio switches.”