Compact dual-polarized VHF microstrip antenna for satellite applications

This paper presents the design of a compact dual-polarized VHF microstrip antenna for modern small satellites. It consists of a slot-loaded annular-ring microstrip antenna printed on a light substrate to reduce its mass. A simple matching circuit is proposed to match the high input impedance of this antenna while enabling the generation of a dual linear-polarization. The size of the proposed design is finally equal to 450 mm at 161 MHz, i.e. λ₀=4.