COSMOS Core is the foundational software platform of the COSMOS ecosystem, providing the core libraries, runtime services, and agent infrastructure required to build and operate distributed robotic systems, including CubeSats, UAVs, and ground stations.
- Agent-based messaging and command/telemetry
- Time, data, and node management
- Core math, physics, and utility libraries
- Minimal, reusable services suitable for both flight and ground use
- Flight software developers integrating COSMOS CORE into embedded systems
- Ground system developers building mission operations tools
- Researchers and students experimenting with distributed agent systems
We recommend you use the standard cosmos install with docker >> See https://github.com/hsfl/cosmos. But if you're a developer (have installed the dependencies such as cmake, gcc, etc.) and just want to get the cosmos-core you can directly download this core repo and on a terminal run:
git clone https://github.com/hsfl/cosmos-core
cd cosmos-core/build
cmake ..
make -j8
To build COSMOS Core and run a minimal example with two communicating agents, see:
📘 COSMOS Core API (Doxygen) 📗 User and Developer Documentation
These resources describe:
- Core libraries and APIs
- Agent architecture and message formats
- Build instructions for supported platforms
- Tutorials and example programs
COSMOS Core is organized to separate foundational libraries, essential runtime programs, and supporting infrastructure. This structure is intended to keep the core platform lightweight, reusable, and suitable for both flight and ground applications.
COSMOS Core includes
- Essential libraries
- Core agents and services
(NOTE: Mission-specific tools, like GUIs, hardware drivers, and experimental applications live outside this repository)
Top-Level Layout
cosmos-core/
├── libraries/ # Core reusable libraries (public APIs)
├── programs/ # Core executables and agents
├── data/ # Default data files and tables
├── tables/ # Reference tables (e.g., constants, models)
├── tutorials/ # Introductory examples and walkthroughs
├── docs/ # Documentation sources
├── cmake/ # CMake helper modules
├── docker/ # Dockerfiles and container support
└── install/ # Installation scripts and helpers
For a more detailed description of the repository structure see REPO_STRUCTURE.md
For more details see VERSIONS.md
| Version | Mission / Context | Year / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| v3.0 | HyTI | 2024 | Significant growth in capabilities driven by thermal infrared mission requirements |
| v4.1 | Swarm | 2025 | Enhancements supporting multi-node, and spacecraft swarm-style operations. |
| v4.2 | Current | January 2026 | Major cleanup release focused on repository organization, configuration control, improved onboarding, and long-term maintainability. |
| v4.3 | HyTI-2 | Spring 2026 | Mission-driven updates and refinements validated through flight and integrated testing. |
| v5.0 | Future Release | Fall 2026 | Next major release; breaking changes expected, including finalized architectural decisions and long-term API stabilization. |