From first-time setup to custom firmware development and HAB mission planning — complete documentation for every level of user.
Written specifically for the SpaceCommsKit Explorer SCK-915 — covering the ground station application, hardware setup, Pico payload pipeline, flight recording, and firmware extension.
Step-by-step guide for setting up and operating the ground station application. Covers hardware connections, all application tabs, GPS/Map tab, flight recorder, file transfer, firmware flashing, troubleshooting, and complete specifications.
Technical reference for engineers extending the system. Covers the ESP protocol, CC1110 custom command framework, Pico sub-opcode system, C# project architecture, 915MHz RF configuration, CC1190 control, and all hard-won lessons from development.
SCK-2400 is the next-generation 2.4GHz platform — built on the TI CC1352P, speaking CCSDS Space Packet Protocol (the same framing used on real spacecraft), with Over-Air Download firmware updates verified at ~24 seconds per image over RF. Currently in active bringup on LAUNCHXL-CC1352P-2 development hardware.
Operating guide for the SCK-2400 CCSDS platform. Covers hardware connections, CCSDS commands, Over-Air Download (OAD) firmware updates, the GPS/Map and Files tabs for the SCK-PBL-1 payload board, troubleshooting, and specifications.
Technical reference for engineers extending the CCSDS platform. Covers CCSDS packet structure and opcodes, the OAD streaming transport with performance benchmarks, the CCSDS↔ESP payload bridge architecture, SysConfig hardware reference, and a complete table of hard-won lessons from bringup.
Real debugging narratives from SCK-2400 bringup — OAD streaming optimization and the CCSDS↔ESP payload bridge, including the SysConfig pitfalls and stack-overflow root causes behind the Developer Guide's hard-won lessons table.
The Raspberry Pi Pico payload board — bolts onto SCK-915 or SCK-2400, or runs standalone with every pin broken out. One firmware, two radios, or none at all.
Covers bolt-on and standalone use, the full bill of materials, command protocol reference, complete pinout for every subsystem and breakout header, and prototype-vs-production timing notes.
Real bugs found during payload board bringup, how each one was actually tracked down, and the fix — including the MS5611 pressure bug, the GPS airborne-mode config that silently never took, and the SD card timing issue. Written so you don't have to re-derive the diagnosis from scratch.
Detailed online guides for every aspect of the system — always up to date.
Complete walkthrough of all 8 application tabs — live telemetry, GPS map, flight recorder, flight replay, OTA firmware, file manager, and provisioning.
View Guide →Complete wiring guide, sub-opcode reference, step-by-step setup, and troubleshooting for the full GPS + baro + camera + SD pipeline.
View Guide →One payload board, two radio platforms — zero firmware changes. The same main.py runs unchanged on SCK-915 (OpenLST) and SCK-2400 (CCSDS). Camera, GPS, barometric altimeter, and SD flight logging.
Complete step-by-step high altitude balloon mission guide. No license required. Hardware checklist, SPOT Trace recovery, FAA notification, HabHub predictor, launch day checklist.
View Guide →How to use the Flight Replay form. Load Mission V1 real flight data and experience a stratospheric flight before buying a kit.
Mission V1 Data →From unboxing to first RF link in under an hour. Hardware connections, software install, first telem, first command.
View Guide →Ground station installer, Pico firmware, CC1110 firmware source, and all required third-party tools.
View Downloads →The OpenLST hardware is fully open source. Schematics, gerbers, and BOM are available through the forked hardware repository.
Complete schematic for the SCK-915 radio board including all component values and substitution notes.
View Schematic →The SCK-915 hardware design files are proprietary SpaceCommsKit IP. The original Planet Labs OpenLST hardware design files are available at the OpenLST GitHub repository.
View on GitHub →Forked OpenLST hardware repository including gerbers, BOM, and design files with our component substitution notes and 915MHz configuration.
View on GitHub →Custom firmware including PICO_MSG handler, CC1190 PA/LNA control, 915MHz registers, and bootloader OTA support.
View Source →The SpaceCommsKit Explorer Kit is built on the original OpenLST project released by Planet Labs. These are the primary reference materials from the original team.
The original user guide written by the Planet Labs team. Covers the ZMQ-based Python toolchain, Vagrant setup, and original Linux-based workflow.
Read on GitHub →The original open-source release from Planet Labs. Contains the complete firmware source, hardware design files, and Python tools.
View on GitHub →Planet Labs designed and open-sourced the OpenLST radio. Their Dove satellite constellation accumulated over 200 cumulative years of on-orbit data.
planet.com →