Space-deployable reflectarray antenna in L-band

Abstract

This thesis introduces a novel space-deployable reflectarray(RA) antenna in L band (1-2 GHz) tailored to be stowed in CubeSats. The lower frequency of L band makes the size of reflectarray considerably large to be stowed in microsatellites. The novel design aims to incorporate miniaturization of the phasing elements of the reflectarray to diminish the overall size of the structure. The RA is made up of 256 unit cells, each of periodicity 35mm and a third order Minkowski fractal. The feed antenna designed for the RA system is a 2x2 patch array. The patch array and the RA together make the RA system compact and easy to be deployed in a CubeSat. This work aims to contribute to space-deployable compact L band antennas for better understanding of the universe’s structure and evolution. A precursor to space deployment of the reflectarray antenna can be a deployment of the antenna for RFI survey in the pristine radio-silent Arctic region. Radio frequency interference (RFI) is a crucial aspect of radio astronomy. Thus the thesis presents the preliminary results of the RFI survey conducted at the Himadri Station in Svalbard, Arctic. The frequency range of 100 kHz to 1750 MHz is significant for various low-frequency radio astronomy studies, such as redshifted 21 cm observations. This work examines the potential of Himadri Station as a suitable site for RFI free radio astronomy observations. The experiment provides a hands-on experience of the use of antennas for radio astronomical purposes.