Dual-band circuarly polarized spaceborne antenna made with multilayer composite lightweight panel

The paper presents the low gain microstrip antenna developed for the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS). The antenna manufactured with a state-of-the-art multilayer composite technology, operates in 1260-1270 MHz and 2400-2450 MHz. Its original main uses were planned in digital TV radioamateur services to be deployed by the volunteer organization Amateur Radio on International Space Station (ARISS) in a few years. Mechanical, thermal and material properties have been developed in a very careful manner to ensure antenna capability to sustain extreme launch loads and harsh space environment. The antenna had been developed with a participation of a few dozen institutions and our team as a primer with a particular strong support of European Space Agency, AOES, EADS Astrium and Thalesaleniaspace. Owing to their lightweight and thin profile, antennas could have been mounted on Columbus Meteorite Debris Panels on Earth at the Spacecraft Processing Facility. It made possible to reduce tasks during extra vehicular activities (EVA) and simplified module installation at the ISS.