PocketQubes are ultra-small satellites whose orbital lifetimes are strongly influenced by atmospheric drag and attitude dynamics, particularly when using passive magnetic attitude control (PMAC). Conventional prediction tools often assume fixed drag areas, overlooking the variability introduced by orientation and deployable structures.

This work develops a methodology that couples attitude propagation with SNAP, geometric area modelling, and GMAT-based orbit simulations, initialised from TLEs and enriched with space weather data. Results show that deployed configurations nearly double the effective drag area compared to folded states, significantly reducing orbital lifetime. Validation against historical TLEs indicates systematic biases of only 7 to 14 km, confirming the accuracy of the approach.

The proposed pipeline offers a reproducible framework for reliable lifetime prediction of passively stabilised PocketQubes, supporting mission planning, deorbit compliance, and constellation management.