Patch Antenna for Nano Satellite Platform

The present day's low orbits appear to be more and more attractive for satellite system developers and for satellite operators because of technical and economical reasons. But operating on low orbits requires another satellite construction and composition principals than for the satellites for high orbits. Nano satellites appear to be the most attractive form factors to operate in such conditions. For convenience of various developers and manufacturers in the industry of nano satellite design and fabrication standard platform was developed and approved. The platform consists of a set of standard cubes, which are called “units”. Each unit has the standard fixing elements to arrange the satellite equipment. The requirement is that the equipment must not exude the unit external edges. The paper presents the practical design of patch antenna for nano satellite platforms, intended to operate on low orbits. Basic principles, physical and technical limitations, coming up within the design process, are described. The required antenna element parameters, conditioned by the nano satellite conditions on low orbits, are explained.