HR4RS stamp
Daria Efimova
When Julián Fernández Barcellona thinks of the individuals who have influenced him, Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station, comes to mind. “Rather than directing me to space, he showed me the ability to do great things with few resources or training,” explains Julián. “I have always been taught that any goal is possible with effort and passion.” Julián is currently studying the first course of Telecommunications Engineering at URJC, but his ambition goes beyond studies. At 17, he is already a co-founder of the start-up FOSSA Systems, specialized in picosatellites; and director of Citadel Space Systems, a British company dedicated to nanosatellites.
The world of telecommunications, new technologies and space called him from the earliest ages. He began to investigate microcontrollers, electronics, and radio frequency, eventually specializing in the Internet of Things (IoT for its acronym in English) and spread spectrum modulations. “I am also a radio amateur (EA4HCD), and I have always been interested in the apparent magic of transmitting information telematically”, says Julián. Therefore, he highlights the main objective of FOSSA Systems; offer connectivity at a global level, take it to areas where there is still no mobile coverage, and reduce the costs of the sector to make it affordable, even in more remote areas. As Julián explains: “Thanks to IoT connectivity through satellites, which does not depend on the terrestrial network to receive and send information, we can therefore obtain information remotely from factories or crops located in disconnected areas.”
His passion and work first materialized in 2018 when he decided to launch the first satellite as an individual, “to democratize IoT communications”. This ideology and his collaboration with other professionals in the sector culminated in a true technological milestone in the sector on February 13. That day, FOSSA Systems - created just 18 months ago - led the launch of the first six Spanish picosatellites. It was carried out from the facilities located in La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz, Julián's home province. It was a historic moment for the company: seeing the deployment of its rocket, Falcon 9, and receiving the news that it is operating correctly. In 18 hours, they managed to establish communications with more than 365 ground stations using low-power LoRa spread-spectrum technologies. In particular, it highlights the low cost of these satellites compared to those that are already on the market: about 100.000 euros compared to tens of millions and years of development.
The success of this launch opens up infinite possibilities for the sector. "It is the first step in an ambitious project that will democratize access to IoT connectivity globally, demonstrating the success of the technology and the capabilities that we can offer," says Julián. "I am tremendously proud of the entire team that makes up FOSSA Systems." This milestone is just the first of those proposed by FOSSA Systems: beyond the six satellites already launched, it proposes a constellation of 80, planned for the end of 2023. On the other hand, there is also the FOSSA Ad Astra association, whose objective is to attract students from the sector and, over time, become a "Spanish NASA", offering tools and facilities for educational use.