The CUBES (CUbesat x-ray Background Explorer using Scintillators) is a payload on the KTH student satellite MIST (MIniature STudent satellite) to evaluate Silicon Photo-multiplier technology and new scintillators such as GAGG (Gadolinium Aluminium Gallium Garnet, Gd3Al2Ga3O12) for future use in hard X-ray polarisation studies of Gamma-Ray Bursts. CUBES itself is designed to study the MIST in-orbit radiation environment by using a detector which is comprised of a silicon photomultiplier coupled to different scintillator materials. Three of these detectors will be mounted on the payload platform and then coupled to inputs of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) and connected to a Field-programmable Gate Array (FPGA) which will store and send data through the downlink on the MIST satellite to ground. This thesis covers the software development for the FPGA, together with two radiation tests of components and the preparation of these.