Ka band Propagation Experiments on the Australian Low-Earth Orbit Microsatellite “ FedSat ”

Previous Ka band communication experiments have been limited to the observation of geostationary satellites, such as ACTS and OLYMPUS, or have been kept commercial in confidence (Iridium). The Ka band payload on the Australian “FedSat” LEO microsatellite has opened up an opportunity to conduct novel Ka band propagation measurements at varying pointing angles, with the additional challenge of precisely tracking large Doppler shifts. This paper describes the unique experimental platform and qualitatively looks at first research results for beacon and carrier bent pipe modes.