Design and analysis of antenna systems properly integrated into a spacecraft structure

For antennas located in a complex structural environment, such as a spacecraft, the structures can significantly impact the desired antenna pattern performance. The scattered fields from these structures due to the illumination of the antenna can create interference to the patterns of the antenna. Consequently, it is very important for antenna design engineers to be aware of the surrounding structures of the antenna and take the possible scattering effects into consideration, including the antenna and the structures. The proper use of computer codes can greatly help the engineers to achieve a much better overall design for the spacecraft in a cost effective way. The scattered field analysis approach, which uses the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (GUTD), presented in this paper has been used to study the impact of the structure scattering in several commercial satellite systems as well as the international space station and helped the design engineers to find a better way of integrating the antennas into the spacecraft structure.