Flexible Phased Antenna Array for Ka-Band Applications: the WONDER Research Project

The WONDER project aims to realize a novel flexible phased antenna array designed for Ka-band satellite communication. The proposed antenna features a scalable, lightweight, and low-profile architecture, integrating beamformers, a flexible PCB, and dual-polarized radiators. A key challenge is identifying the optimal manufacturing approach and design strategy to develop such a complex, high-performance system while ensuring a certain degree of flexibility. This involves multiple engineering disciplines, from electronic and electromagnetic design to the selection of technologies and materials for the final prototype fabrication. This paper presents an overview of the progress made so far in this research.