Antennas for Modern Small Satellites

Abstract

Modern small satellites (MSS) are revolutionizing the space industry. They can drastically reduce the mission cost, and can make access to space more affordable. The relationship between a modern small satellite and a "conventional" large satellite is similar to that between a modern compact laptop and a "conventional" work-station computer. This paper gives an overview of antenna technologies for applications in modern small satellites. First, an introduction to modern small satellites and their structures is presented. This is followed by a description of technical challenges in the antenna designs for modern small satellites, and the interactions between the antenna and modern small satellites. Specific antennas developed for modern small-satellite applications are then explained and discussed. The future development and a conclusion are presented

Circularly Polarized Microstrip Antennas with Proximity Coupled Feed for Circularly Polarized Synthetic Aperture Radar

“…The third and final contribution is by (Gao et al, 2009). The authors presented an excellent overview of the status of antennas for small satellites until the end of 2007.…”

“…The updated dimensions produce a value ka = 2.73 rad. The stacked SAP antenna is also described in (Gao et al, 2009). Most antenna implementations target either the TTC or the payload data downlink subsystem.…”

“…They achieve sophisticated functionality by utilizing state-of-the-art commercial off-the-shelf components, which are initially developed for terrestrial applications and later adapted to space applications. Advances in low-power microelectronics and digital signal processing are turning satellites smaller, smarter, faster and cheaper (Gao et al, 2009). The history and framework of small satellites were described in Section 1.…”

Rapid Prototyping across the Spectrum: RF to Optical 3D Electromagnetic Structures

“…The next category in the context of RF devices is printed 3D components. Antennas have remained the center of research as capacity needs increase with multimedia data and size constraints are tightened [75], especially in applications such as satellites [76] and mobile devices where size and weight are critical [77]. 3D antennas provide design flexibility needed in such systems by allowing the designer the ability to work in a volumetric space, not just 2D planar area using non body-of-revolution and asymmetric configurations [78].…”

Design and Realization of Circular Polarized Siw Slot Array Antenna for Cubesat Intersatellite Links

“…They have a net mass between 0.1 and 1.33 kg [1]. The most common type of small satellites is CubeSat that made up of 10 × 10 × 10 cm 3 units and has a weight less than 1.33 kilograms per unit.…”