  Despite the impressive progresses achieved both by X-ray and gamma-ray
observatories in the last decades, the energy range between $\sim
200\,\mathrm{keV}$ and $\sim 50\,\mathrm{MeV}$ remains poorly explored.
COMPTEL, on-board CGRO (1991-2000), was the last telescope to accomplish a
complete survey of the MeV-sky with a relatively modest sensitivity. Missions
like AMEGO have been proposed for the future, in order to fill this gap in
observation; however, the time-scale for development and launch is about 10
years. On a shorter time-scale, a different approach may be profitable: MeV
observations can be performed by a Compton telescope flying on a CubeSat.
MeVCube is a 6U CubeSat concept currently under investigation at DESY, that
could cover the energy range between hundreds of keV up to few MeVs with a
sensitivity comparable to that of missions like COMPTEL and INTEGRAL. The
Compton camera is based on pixelated Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CdZnTe)
semiconductor detectors, coupled with low-power read-out electronics (ASIC,
VATA450.3), ensuring a high detection efficiency and excellent energy
resolution. In this work I will show measurements of the performance of a
custom design CdZnTe detector and extrapolations of the expected telescope
performance based on these measurements as well as simulations.
