Development of a high-gain deployable S-band antenna for small satellite data transmission

Abstract

In recent years, the world of small satellites has seen rapid evolution, bringing forth an opportunity to leverage these developments for the purpose of scientific progress. One of the biggest challenges in a small satellite is the transmission of payload data. The amount of data transferred is dependent on the frequency, with a higher frequency providing a higher bandwidth that can support higher data rates being preferred but with the trade-off of larger power consumption. Hence, the design of the small satellites' communication subsystems is of vital importance.

In this report, a thorough review of the recent developments revolving satellite antennas for wireless systems will be presented. Inspired by CubeSats, the aim of the project is to design and develop a deployable 0.5-m S-band parabolic reflector antenna that can be stowed in 1.5U with a gain of more than 20 dBi. The scope of this project consists of hardware and software development of the deployable antenna on CubeSats.

Prior to designing the satellites, several theories such antenna theories, radio frequency (RF) communication system and types of antennas, especially on the properties and geometries of parabolic structures have been researched to provide critical information required in the RF design and simulation phase.

Several deployable mechanical structures of the S-band antenna have been proposed and one Rain-Cube model was prototyped and shown in the report.