Properties of a large scale multibeam antenna using a phased array fed reflector with radially aligned elements

Communication satellites achieve global communication coverage by using high-gain multibeam satellite antennas. These antennas fall into two types: direct radiating phased arrays for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and large reflector antennas fed by cluster feeds for geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. This paper provides an analytical study of the phased array fed single reflector antenna that can cover wide regions like Asia by 127 beams based on our design techniques. To confirm the feasibility of the designed phased array fed reflector antenna a partial model of the array feed was manufactured and its electrical properties tested. Evaluation of the measured properties proves the feasibility of the phased array fed single reflector antenna as a large scale multibeam antenna.