Thailand’s KNACKSAT-2 satellite is preparing for deployment from the International Space Station, with release currently scheduled for 3rd February 2026, at 08:55 UTC (03:55 AM EST). The mission continues Thailand’s university-led CubeSat development program following the earlier KNACKSAT-1 mission. The project is led by King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok in Thailand, working with domestic and international partners to advance satellite engineering, payload integration, and on-orbit operations.

KNACKSAT-2 was transported to the International Space Station in late 2025 and is a 3U CubeSat designed to host multiple payloads. The satellite expands on KNACKSAT-1, which demonstrated Thailand’s ability to design and build a satellite domestically. Development and testing were conducted in cooperation with NBSPACE and other academic and research partners. The mission is intended to help Thailand develop multi-payload CubeSat platforms and prepare for future ride-share launch opportunities.

The satellite carries both educational and research payloads. Non-amateur missions include an Earth imaging camera, a store-and-forward IoT data collection system for remote sensors, ultraviolet radiation measurement instrumentation, and in-orbit evaluation of space-qualified components. These payloads are part of broader national workforce development programs coordinated through the Thai Space Consortium and academic partner networks. The satellite will be operated in orbit using ground stations located in Thailand.

KNACKSAT-2 also supports amateur radio operations through an APRS digipeater payload developed in cooperation with the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand. The amateur payload operates using coordinated frequencies through the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) satellite frequency coordination process. The APRS digipeater system uses 145.825 MHz for uplink and downlink using FSK modulation at 9600 bps with AX.25 framing. The amateur satellite callsign assigned to the mission is HSØK.

In addition to amateur payloads, the spacecraft transmits engineering telemetry on 400.630 MHz using FSK at 9600 bps with AX.25 framing and a one-minute beacon interval. Following deployment, project coordinators have requested assistance from the monitoring community to receive, decode, and submit telemetry reports from the 400.630 MHz downlink, which is outside the amateur radio allocation. Many satellite observers actively search for newly deployed spacecraft and contribute reception reports, helping mission teams verify spacecraft health and early on-orbit performance. The satellite is expected to rotate in orbit, and ground stations are recommended to use circular polarisation, with RHCP preferred, to improve reception reliability.

KNACKSAT-2 continues the growing trend of university-driven satellite programs contributing technical capability, education, and operational experience to the global amateur satellite community. University-built satellites are playing an increasing role in expanding access to space while supporting educational outreach and new opportunities for amateur radio experimentation.

For more information:

Deployment Live Stream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB4PIOS-hSs

KNACKSAT-2 Packet Forwarder Software Download - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/18fa1jQJff-JiHCe3aBd1pGhCkZLYsv98

KNACKSAT-2 Packet Forwarder Software Manual - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iHfO3wFxgxnFv4PHQVXjML2r8pdHhOGU/view

API Registration for KNACKSAT-2 Packet Forwarder - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3XvkZU3XPdodgZIm94c7DczWjIqJlDF-46hGutW0aE_sLFA/viewform

KNACKSAT-2 Telemetry Dashboard -https://dashboard.knacksat.com/telemetry/d/knacksat-telemetry/knacksat-satellite-telemetry-monitor