AbstractStarted as educational tools, CubeSats have immediately encountered the favor of the scientific community, subsequently becoming viable platforms for research and commercial applications. To ensure competitive data rates, some pioneers have started to explore the usage of the Ka-band beside the conventional amateur radio frequencies. In this context, this study proposes a phased antenna array design for Ka-band downlink operations consisting of 8×8 circularly polarized subarrays of microstrip patches filling one face of a single CubeSat unit. The conceived structure is developed to support 1.5GHz bandwidth and dual-task missions, whose feasibility is verified by proper link budgets. The dual-task operations are enabled by a low-complexity phase-only control algorithm that provides pattern reconfigurability in order to satisfy both orbiting and intersatellite missions, while remaining adherent to the cost-effective CubeSat paradigm.
HighlightsA Ka-band phased antenna array design for CubeSat applications is pro-posed.Pattern reconfigurability is introduced to enable the support of dual-task missions.Feasibility is checked by simulations, measurements, and illustrative link budgets.
Reconfigurable phased antenna array for extending cubesat operations to Ka-band: Design and feasibility
Acta Astronautica ; 137 ; 114-121
2017-04-09
8 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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