Deployable Microwave Antennas for CubeSats, NanoSats, and SmallSats

The goal of this project is to develop an offset-fed paraboloidal mesh reflector antenna for operation onboard small, low cost satellites such as CubeSats, in the frequency range up to 100GHz. The Phase II component of this goal is to fully test the performance characteristics of a prototype deployable antenna reflector, with an aperture greater than 0.5m under controlled conditions. The mesh used in the reflector is gold plated molybdenum. The weave of the mesh will be developed early in Phase II to achieve the tight tolerances required for operation up to 100 GHz (W-Band). Characterization measurements of the currently available mesh have been completed and will be used as a baseline to quantify improvements measured from the newly developed mesh samples. Analysis of surface error contributions from faceting, thermal stresses, manufacturing tolerances, and operational forces will be performed. Micro-machining and small-scale manufacturing techniques will be refined to achieve an overall reflector surface accuracy of less than 60 micrometers (1/50 of the wavelength at 100GHz).The fully constructed mesh reflector antenna with feed will be measured to obtain the full gain pattern of the antenna to characterize the antenna performance and determine the overall efficiency of the mesh reflector. The deployment mechanism will also be tested and refined to ensure repeatable operation of the antenna.The proposed antenna can be stowed within less than 1.5 U of a CubeSat. Doing so can significantly lower the cost of any satellite system requiring a high gain reflector antenna, including radars, scatterometers, radiometers, and deep space communication links. Successful completion of the Phase II goals will increase the technical readiness of the project from TRL 3, at the end of Phase I, to TRL 6.