Inflatable antenna for cubesats: Motivation for development and antenna design

Babuscia, Alessandra; Corbin, B. A.; Knapp, Mary; Jensen-Clem, Rebecca; Loo, Mark Van de; Seager, Sara

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.06.005

Cited by 61 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Several more manageable combinations are presented. For example, only 21.28 kw would be required for a spacecraft using a 10 m aperture (a size in line with work by Babuscia et al [42]) at a distance of 300 km. Problematically, the efficiency of hardware components required for operation at this frequency is comparatively (to 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz) low.…”

Section: Other Ways To Obtain This Benefitmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…A deployable set of solar panels for a high energy mission (such as one with significant data transmission power requirements) could, prospectively, take up several units (10 cm Â 10 cm Â 10 cm boxes) of space. Alternately, an inflatable antenna, such as that proposed by Babuscia et al [42] can fit in a single unit or less of space and provide (comparative to its predeployment space requirements) greater reception capabilities. This could allow the mission to have greater transmission power capabilities or reduce mission mass and volume requirements to fit within form factor and/or budgetary constraints (compared to the use of solar panels).…”

Section: Evaluation Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Does the use of space solar power for in-space activities really make sense: An updated economic assessment

Straub

2015

Space Policy

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Section: Other Ways To Obtain This Benefitmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Evaluation Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the use of space solar power for in-space activities really make sense: An updated economic assessment

Straub

2015

Space Policy

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“…This technology has been investigated for large antennas, but has not been adopted for any significant tlight projects. However, the relatively high stowage efficiency of an intlatable antenna combined with the greater risk tolerance of small satellites has stimulated renewed interest in intlatables [4]. FPR reflectarrays are a relatively new technology that provides a very significant reduction in stowed volume.…”

Section: Cubes a T Hga Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel deployable reflectarray antennas for CubeSat communications

Hodges

Hoppe

Radway

et al. 2015

2015 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium

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Two novel high gain deployable retlectarray antennas to support CubeSat telecommunications are described and compared with other high gain CubeSat antenna technologies. The first retlectarray is the Integrated Solar Array and Retlectarray Antenna (ISARA), a KIKa-band antenna that also incorporates a dense packing of solar cells used to provide electrical power for the spacecraft. The second is an X-band retlectarray designed to provide a bent pipe telecom link. These retlectarrays are ideal for CubeSat applications because they require negligible stowed volume and impose a modest mass increase. The antenna designs and measured performance results are presented.

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“…A number of deployable parabolic and parabolic like antennas have been developed in the past for CubeSats. Ideas have included a goer-wrap composite reflector 2 , a reflector transformed from the CubeSat body 3 , an inflatable parabolic reflector with reflecting material on one side and transparent material on the other 4 5,6 , and a reflectarray 7 . While these designs provide unique solutions, they are all designed to operate at S-band (with the exception of the reflectarray).…”

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mechanical Design of a Mesh Ka-band Parabolic Deployable Antenna (KaPDA) for CubeSats

Sauder

Thomson

2015

2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference

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A Ka-band high gain antenna would provide a 10,000 times increase in data communication rates over an X-band patch antenna and a 100 times increase over state-ofthe-art S-band parabolic antennas. Unfortunately, such a design does not exist as current CubeSat high gain antennas have focused on S-band. JPL has initiated a research and technology development effort to design a half-meter Ka-band parabolic deployable antenna (KaPDA) which would stow in 1.5U (10 cm x 10 cm x 15 cm) and provide 42dB of gain (50% efficiency). The KaPDA design must solve conflicting mechanical requirements on surface accuracy, stowed space, and ability to deploy. The development of a conceptual design that satisfies each requirement is discussed in this paper. The design uses folding ribs to fit in the stowage space, deep rib sections with precision hinges to maintain surface accuracy, and a combination of an innovative inflating bladder and springs to deploy the antenna. RF simulations show that after losses, KaPDA would have about 42 dB gain, at 50% efficiency. KaPDA would create opportunities for a host of new CubeSat missions by allowing high data rate communication which would enable using data intensive instruments or venturing further into deep space, including interplanetary missions.

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Inflatable antenna for cubesats: Motivation for development and antenna design

Cited by 61 publications

References 6 publications

Does the use of space solar power for in-space activities really make sense: An updated economic assessment

Does the use of space solar power for in-space activities really make sense: An updated economic assessment

Novel deployable reflectarray antennas for CubeSat communications

The Mechanical Design of a Mesh Ka-band Parabolic Deployable Antenna (KaPDA) for CubeSats

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