Multimode monopulse tracking feed with dual-band potential for land-mobile satellite communications in Ka-band

The growing interest in bi-directional mobile satellite communications in Ka-band necessitates the development of dedicated antenna systems and feeds. In this paper we describe an operational feeding structure for a Cassegrain satellite reflector antenna which facilitates a multimode monopulse tracking system for circular polarisation at the satellite downlink frequency of 20 GHz. The basic principle can be extended to dual-band functionality, to cover the uplink at 30 GHz as well. This work contributes to the development of a satellite terminal for mobile communications in disaster scenarios.