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Satellite Communications

3D printed and circularly polarized 28 GHz patch antenna array for small satellite communications


This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a high-gain compact 2 × 2 circularly polarized patch antenna array using 3D printing technology for small satellite 5G communication at 28 GHz. The proposed antenna demonstrates high efficiency and a low profile, addressing the limitations in design flexibility associated with traditional PCB fabrication methods. The 2 × 2 array configuration, incorporating via fences, coaxial vertical feedlines, and a sequentially rotated phased feed network, enhances the antenna's bandwidth and axial ratio bandwidth while maintaining compactness, crucial for space-constrained satellite applications.

Simulations optimized key antenna parameters, including reflection coefficient, gain, and axial ratio. Measurement results validated the simulations, showing an impedance bandwidth of 6.8 GHz and an axial ratio bandwidth of 3.1 GHz, with a peak gain of 6.33 dB. Thermal cycling and electrical tests ensured the antenna's durability in space environments, demonstrating its potential for satellite use. These results indicate that 3D-printed antennas offer advantages in performance, cost, and manufacturing flexibility for satellite communication applications.

This study demonstrates the feasibility of using 3D printing technology to fabricate a compact 2 × 2 circularly polarized patch antenna array for small satellite communication at 28 GHz. The proposed antenna shows promising performance in gain and circular polarization characteristics with the array displacement method and via fence structure with a separated sequentially rotated feed network, addressing the limitations of traditional PCB fabrication. Simulation results show that the arrayed antenna achieves an impedance bandwidth of 6.20 GHz, the axial ratio bandwidth of 3.49 GHz, and a 28 GHz gain of 9.31 dB.

Measurement results demonstrate that the arrayed antenna achieves an impedance bandwidth of 8.00 GHz, an axial ratio bandwidth of 3.1 GHz, and a 28 GHz gain of 6.44 dB, which is well matched to the prediction of the array structure tendency from simulation results, which indicate that array displacement increases antenna performance.

These performance metrics represent improvements over conventional patch antennas, enhancing the reliability of high-frequency communication in terms of compactness and circularly polarized antenna efficiency. Additionally, thermal cycling tests confirmed the antenna's durability in space environments, demonstrating its potential for space and small satellite applications.

satellite, orbit, geostationary, payload, transponder, telemetry, uplink, downlink, satellite-navigation, remote-sensing, weather-satellite, earth-observation, communications-satellite, satellite-imaging, GPS, satellite-constellation, space-segment, ground-station, satellite-launch, satellite-tracking

#satellite, #space, #orbit, #geostationary, #payload, #telemetry, #uplink, #downlink, #navigation, #remotesensing, #weathersatellite, #earthobservation, #communicationsatellite, #satelliteimaging, #GPS, #satelliteconstellation, #spacesegment, #groundstation, #satellitelaunch, #satellitetracking

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