A Compact Dual-Band UHF Microstrip Patch Antenna for CubeSat Applications

Wellington Silva,Antonio Campos,Juan Guerra

doi:10.14209/jcis.2021.18

Abstract

This paper presents a slitted, dual-band, square, microstrip patch antenna for CubeSat application. Compared to recently reported works, the originality of this design is the capability to operate at dual-band UHF, using a single feeding point, and, in this way, reducing the risks inherent to wire antennas. The antenna resonates at 399.025 MHz and 431.600 MHz frequencies and it is limited at 100 mm x 100 mm area in a CubeSat face. Forty slits, on the perimeter of a square patch, ten slits on each edge, and a high relative permittivity substrate was used to decrease the operating frequencies. An asymmetry between the slits allows the operation in two different frequencies. This slitted square patch may be up to 48% smaller in area than a square patch without slits, both with the same operating frequency. The design, simulation, manufacturing, and measurement details are presented. Simulated and measured results reveal that the gain, the radiation patterns, the bandwidth, and other parameters are adequate for CubeSat applications.

Highlights

The CubeSat standard was developed to facilitate access to space for undergraduate students
This study aimed to design, simulate, manufacture, and measure a dual-band microstrip patch antenna operating in the UHF band and meeting the restrictions for a possible application in the Brazilian CubeSat CONASAT program
The proposed antenna resonates close to 400 MHz and 431 MHz frequencies and it is limited at 100 mm x 100 mm area in a CubeSat face

Summary

Introduction

The CubeSat standard was developed to facilitate access to space for undergraduate students. This standard specifies a modular structure based on CubeSat unit (1U), which is a cube with the side equal to 100 mm, according to Fig. 1, [1]. The area available in the smallest CubeSat for the antenna allocation is 100 mm x 100 mm [1], [2]. These antennas should be small size and light. The most common solution for VHF-UHF antennas in CubeSat applications is the linear wire deployable antennas, specially dipole antennas and their variations. Many CubeSat operates in VHF (144 - 146 MHz) and UHF (435 - 438 MHz) frequency bands

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Conclusion