🚀 GSoC 2025 Project Ideas List

📝: The standard coding period for these projects is 12 weeks, but given the complexity and learning curve, we recommend 18 or 22 weeks depending on the background of the contributor.

1. Documentation & Usability Improvements

🔹 Project Title: Enhancing Documentation for BIRDS Open Source Software

📌 Description: Improve and standardize documentation across different software components of the BIRDS Open Source project, making it easier for existing and new users and contributors to understand and engage with the system.

🎯 Goals:

  • Improve the documentation website (using JustTheDocs).
  • Deliver step-by-step tutorials for compiling, installing, and using key software components.
  • Document the process for loading a new program onto the satellite.
  • Improve function documentation and technical guides for developers.

🛠 Skills Required:

  • Technical writing
  • Markdown
  • Function documentation
  • Git/GitHub

📆 Project Size: Medium (175 hours)
🕒 Duration: 12-18 weeks

2. In-Orbit Firmware Update System

🔹 Project Title: Implementing a Remote Firmware Update System for CubeSat Onboard Computers

📌 Description: Develop a fault-tolerant method for updating the onboard computer (OBC) firmware while the satellite is in orbit. This would allow operators to fix bugs, improve performance, or add new features remotely.

🎯 Goals:

  • Design a bootloader that can safely manage firmware updates.
  • Implement redundancy and rollback mechanisms to prevent bricking the system.
  • Develop and test a secure update protocol for transmitting new firmware from the ground station.

🛠 Skills Required:

  • Embedded C
  • Operating system fundamentals
  • Low-level firmware development
  • Satellite communications

📆 Project Size: Large (350 hours)
🕒 Duration: 18-22 weeks

3. KiCad Design of an Open-Source CubeSat Onboard Computer (OBC)

🔹 Project Title: Developing an Open-Source CubeSat OBC PCB using KiCad

📌 Description: Design and document a fully open-source Onboard Computer (OBC) PCB using KiCad, making it easy for CubeSat teams to adapt and use. We currently get the board design and fabrication done with Sagami Tsushin, but users have said it is difficult to do from their country. We want to make a design that can be sent to any PCB manufacturer near users.

🎯 Goals:

  • With the schematic already shared, design a PCB layout for a CubeSat OBC.
  • Ensure the board meets CubeSat standard interfaces and can be easily integrated with BIRDS software.
  • Generate BOM (Bill of Materials), fabrication files, and a user manual for teams that want to replicate or improve the design.

🛠 Skills Required:

  • KiCad
  • PCB design
  • Hardware development
  • Embedded systems

📆 Project Size: Medium (175 hours)
🕒 Duration: 12-18 weeks

4. Development of a Web-Based Ground Station Dashboard for BIRDS CubeSats

🔹 Project Title: Building a Web-Based Dashboard for CubeSat Ground Stations

📌 Description: Develop a real-time dashboard that allows ground station operators to monitor, control, and visualize telemetry from CubeSats.

🎯 Goals:

  • Create a web-based interface for satellite health monitoring (battery, temperature, comms status, etc.).
  • Implement real-time graphing and logging of telemetry data.
  • Develop features for command uplink and event notifications.

🛠 Skills Required:

  • Web development (React, Vue, or Django)
  • Real-time data visualization
  • Database management

📆 Project Size: Large (350 hours)
🕒 Duration: 18-22 weeks

5. CubeSat Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing Framework

🔹 Project Title: Developing a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) CubeSat Testing Framework

📌 Description: Create a HIL testing environment where CubeSat software can be tested before deployment, reducing hardware testing costs and debugging time.

🎯 Goals:

  • Develop a hardware testing framework for validating CubeSat software.
  • Integrate with existing BIRDS software to test firmware behavior under controlled conditions.
  • Allow users to run automated tests to validate mission scenarios.

🛠 Skills Required:

  • Python
  • C++
  • Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
  • Embedded systems

📆 Project Size: Large (350 hours)
🕒 Duration: 18-22 weeks

6. Port Firmware Code to an Open Compiler

🔹 Project Title: Migrating BIRDS Firmware from CCS Compiler to an Open Compiler

📌 Description: We currently use CCS Compiler, which is proprietary, so we want to make the firmware compatible with an open compiler such as Microchip XC8 (though XC8 is only free, not fully open).

🎯 Goals:

  • Analyze the existing firmware and dependencies on CCS.
  • Port the code to an open compiler while ensuring compatibility and functionality.
  • Perform validation tests to confirm proper operation.

🛠 Skills Required:

  • C++
  • Embedded Systems
  • Compiler Migration

📆 Project Size: Medium (175 hours)
🕒 Duration: 12-18 weeks