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A shared-aperture pentaband antenna with high impedance surface for CubeSat application
Md Nazim Uddin1, Elias A Alwan2
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33174, USA. muddi027@fiu.edu.
Scientific Reports
|July 12, 2024
Summary
A novel circular polarized pentaband antenna using the aperture-in-aperture concept enables simultaneous L-band to Ka-band communication for CubeSats. This antenna achieves 5-10 dBi gain and wide bandwidth for efficient downlink operations.
Area of Science:
- Electromagnetics and Wave Propagation
- Antenna Theory and Design
- Spacecraft Communication Systems
Background:
- CubeSats require compact, multi-band antennas for diverse communication needs.
- Existing antennas often struggle with simultaneous operation across wide frequency ranges (L-band to Ka-band).
- Circular polarization is crucial for mitigating signal fading and improving link reliability in space applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a circular polarized pentaband antenna for CubeSat applications.
- To demonstrate simultaneous operation across five distinct frequency bands (L-band to Ka-band).
- To achieve high gain and wide circular polarization bandwidth for efficient downlink.
Main Methods:
- Design of a pentaband antenna utilizing the aperture-in-aperture (AIA) concept.
- Integration of four specific frequency band antennas (12, 18.5, 26, 32 GHz) into an L-band (1.5 GHz) antenna.
- Incorporation of a high impedance surface (HIS) to enhance radiation pattern stability.
Main Results:
- Simultaneous operation across L-band (1.5 GHz), X-band (12.5 GHz), K-band1 (18.5 GHz), K-band2 (26 GHz), and Ka-band (32 GHz) achieved with a frequency ratio of 21.3:1.
- Realized gain ranging from 5.05 dBi (L-band) to 8.56 dBi (Ka-band) was observed.
- Good circular polarization bandwidth (< 3 dB) maintained across the entire operational frequency range.
- HIS effectively mitigated radiation pattern ripples caused by surface wave interference.
Conclusions:
- The proposed aperture-in-aperture pentaband antenna is a viable solution for CubeSat downlink.
- The antenna demonstrates excellent performance in terms of gain, bandwidth, and simultaneous multi-band operation.
- Fabrication and testing confirmed the simulation results, validating the antenna's design and performance.
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