UCLA

The advent of VLSI and microelectronics has made it possible to reduce the size of electronic devices by several orders of magnitude while increasing their functional capabilities and reducing production costs. This massive scaling has enabled the development of satellites that can be as small as a cube of volume 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. Such satellites, called ‘CubeSats’, have revolutionized the satellite industry today. This reduced volume makes launching CubeSats economically affordable, fostering the participation of small scale establishments and universities in space programs. Owing to their small size, it is now possible to conceive launching of multiple instances of the same CubeSat for advanced missions, which was not economically viable with conventional satellites. Even though numerous CubeSats have been launched, most of the current CubeSat missions operate at low data rates and low spatial resolution. One of the major reasons for this is the absence of compact high gain antennas that can integrate with the small CubeSat form factor while providing the required data rates for deep space missions or spatial resolution for remote sensing. This work addresses this very challenge by developing tools that can aid the integration of high gain antennas with the small CubeSat form factor. In particular, we include the following: (a) an in-depth understanding of umbrella reflector antennas with an emphasis on lower number of ribs to aid stowage, (b) analysis of complex knit mesh surfaces to understand the tradeoff between mesh density and RF transmission loss, (c) innovative feed designs that are optimized for efficient illumination of reflector antennas and minimum volume, (d) characterization of chassis interaction with the antenna system, and (e) development of a metal-only, low-profile, stepped parabolic reflector that can be 3D printed and readily integrated with the CubeSat chassis, simplifying deployment. As a part of this dissertation, we describe the development of one of the largest apertures at Ka-band: a 1m mesh-deployable offset reflector that can be stowed in a volume of 10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm. The success of this endeavor marks a major milestone in the field of CubeSats, which allows advanced space missions at lower costs to become a reality.