Integrated Data Acquisition and Environmental Analytics in Pico-Satellite Systems

This paper presents the development and testing of a low-cost prototype pico-satellite system for integrated data acquisition and environmental analytics. Designed for educational and small-scale remote sensing applications, the system employs a Raspberry Pi Pico for onboard processing and a Raspberry Pi 5 for ground-based visualization. The platform integrates key sensors, namely MPU6050, NEO-6M GPS, and ADS1115, for real-time health and environmental monitoring, and communicates via an HC-12 transceiver over 433 MHz. Solar panels and a CN3791 energy management system support autonomous operation. Drone-assisted field tests at altitudes up to 100 meters demonstrated stable communication with <10% packet loss, accurate sensor readings (e.g., <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\pm 2.5 ~\mathrm{m}$</tex> GPS accuracy), and efficient energy utilization. The prototype highlights a scalable architecture suitable for future upgrades, including AI-enhanced analytics and LoRa-based telemetry.