SOURCE-2 passes preliminary requirements review and moves on to the next project phase

The SOURCE-2 student satellite project run by the small satellite association KSat e.V. has successfully completed its preliminary requirements review (PRR). This confirms the technical maturity of the team's concept and marks an important milestone. SOURCE-2 is thus approaching its goal of becoming one of the first European student satellites capable of performing active orbit changes.

SOURCE stands for Stuttgart Operated University Research CubeSat for Evaluation and Education. Following its predecessor project SOURCE, which is expected to launch in 2027, SOURCE-2 continues the vision of enabling students to participate in real space missions and cutting-edge technology development

As with SOURCE, SOURCE-2 is also being developed in close cooperation between KSat e.V. and the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart. The IRS supports the team with scientific expertise and state-of-the-art tools, laboratories, and testing facilities. This combination enables practical training that stands out in a European comparison.

In addition, the team works nationally with SeeSat e.V. and Aalen University, and internationally with Swinburne University of Technology in Australia – particularly in the field of scientific payloads. This gives students first-hand experience of how space missions are usually internationally networked and require complex cooperation across borders.

SOURCE-2 builds technologically on the findings of its predecessor project and other successful IRS satellite projects – such as the Flying Laptop or EIVE satellite – and takes professionalism and system architecture to a new level. One focus is on on-orbit servicing and active debris removal, with an additional focus on sustainability in the space context. The main payload, DETEKT (Demonstration Tracking of E-paper MarKer Targets), enables various detection marker systems to be tested and demonstrated under different lighting conditions in low Earth orbit. At the same time, PR images are to be displayed and photographed in orbit in order to inspire schoolchildren to take an interest in space technology and STEM subjects. FerroWheels allow the demonstration of a low-wear alternative to classic reaction wheels. In addition, the IRS’s PETRUS engine is integrated into the satellite bus – a key feature that enables SOURCE-2 to actively perform orbital maneuvers, setting new standards in student spaceflight.

SOURCE-2 is part of THE aerospace LÄND and is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts as part of the state's aerospace strategy.
Through close cooperation, exchange with project partners, and integration into the IRS research network, SOURCE-2 not only provides scientific value, but also forms the basis for a broader educational initiative designed to inspire schoolchildren and the public to take an interest in STEM and space technology.
With the successful PRR, the foundation has been laid for the next step: Phase B can begin – the detailed elaboration of the satellite design.

Links to the news:

• SOURCE-2 project homepage (German)
• Feasibility Study of the SOURCE-2 CubeSat Mission for the Demonstration and Technologies for Future Servicing Missions, M. Kanzow et al., IAC 2025, ResearchGate
• The Student Small Satellite Association KSat e.V.

Aerospace research at the University of Stuttgart
Stuttgart's aerospace studies are a unique interdisciplinary think tank for key technologies in space and on Earth. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart combine expertise in the fields of climate and energy research, communication technology, propulsion technology, and AI-based flying. A central focus is the research of sustainable technological solutions that aim to minimize the ecological impact of aerospace. Research is conducted on an interdisciplinary basis and in close dialogue with regional and international partners from science and industry, for example within the framework of the ATLAS (SFB 1667) and SynTrac (SFB-TRR 364) collaborative research centers. As a partner of THE Aerospace LÄND, the University of Stuttgart contributes to the implementation of Baden-Württemberg's state strategy to make aerospace sustainable, digital, and cooperative by 2050. The university offers its students a sound engineering and application-oriented education. In promoting young talent, it cooperates with the “Zukunftsoffensive Luft- und Raumfahrt-Nachwuchs” (Future Promotion Opportunities for Young Aerospace Talent), an initiative of the state of Baden-Württemberg that is committed to strengthening the promotion of young talent in the STEM subjects.