CubeSat Transparent Patch Antenna

Project

• CubeSats have limited surface area for solar panels, antennas, and instruments
• Commercial antennas often take the place of solar panels, decreasing power generation
• The transparent patch antenna (TPA) combines an antenna with a solar panel
• Add a high-gain S-band antenna and lose only 20% instead of 100% of power generation
• The TPA will serve as the payload for the GASRATS CubeSat with a planned launch in late 2027

Commercial S-band antenna

GASRATS CubeSat

Transparent patch antenna render

System

Used to Test the Antenna

Methods

FujiFilm Dimatix DMP-2831 inkjet printer

• Designed in Ansys HFSS to optimize transparency and gain by reducing the thickness and number of mesh lines
• Printed on a 13-micron polyimide film, which is first UV treated for 1 hour to raise the surface energy to ensure the ink wets correctly into the designed geometry
• Antenna geometry is printed from a silver nanoparticle ink using an inkjet printer to ensure high quality mesh lines
• After printing, the antenna is cured in an oven at 195 °C for 35 min to achieve desired conductivity
• The antenna is then bonded to a custom machined PEI bedframe and suspended 2.54 mm above a ground plane

Conclusion

Constructed transparent patch antenna

• Through many iterations, the team developed effective processes to design and print a functional TPA
• Testing the integrated antenna on a VNA revealed mismatched RF properties, likely due to issues in the integration process
• Further research is required to refine the integration process and perform environmental testing
• Upon demonstration of the patch antenna on GASRATS, the antenna can be scaled to more types of satellite missions and for use on deep space solar arrays