DocumentCode :
1703756
Title :
Electronically de-spun phased array antenna for spinning spacecraft
Author :
Underwood, H.R.
Author_Institution :
Messiah College, Grantham, PA, USA
Volume :
4
fYear :
2001
Firstpage :
760
Abstract :
A spinning spacecraft typically uses an S-band omnidirectional antenna to maintain a data link to Earth and thus does not need an expensive attitude control system. However, a higher downlink data rate and/or cost savings might be obtained by using a transmit antenna with gain in the less occupied X-band. A linear phased army of microstrip radiators can achieve significant gain and some steering while having a lightweight package on board the spacecraft. Arranging the flat panels of such an array on the sides of a regular polygon, around the spacecraft spin axis, allows the beam from each pair of adjacent panels to overlap. Each pair of successive panels, excited sequentially at the spin rate of the spacecraft, can point the radiated beam toward Earth continuously. Greater transmit antenna gain on board the spacecraft has several possible benefits including: (1) increased downlink data rate, (2) reduced transmit power, (3) access to downlink data on Earth by commercial dish receivers rather than the expensive Deep Space Network (DSN). As demand and availability increases, cost of the required X-band components and equipment should decrease.
Keywords :
antenna phased arrays; artificial satellites; beam steering; linear antenna arrays; microstrip antenna arrays; satellite antennas; satellite links; transmitting antennas; 150 MHz; 8.45 GHz; X-band antenna; commercial dish receivers; downlink data rate; linear phased army; microstrip radiators; phased array antenna; spinning spacecraft; transmit antenna; transmit power; Antenna arrays; Costs; Downlink; Earth; Microstrip; Packaging; Phased arrays; Space vehicles; Spinning; Transmitting antennas;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, 2001. IEEE
Conference_Location :
Boston, MA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7070-8
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/APS.2001.959576
Filename :
959576
Link To Document :
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