Characterization and Implementation of Cyanate Ester Composite GCPW-Fed Leaky Wave Antenna for Space Applications

The rapid growth of the space industry and the increasing number of small spacecraft missions have under-scored the critical need for robust, reliable antennas capable of surviving harsh space environments. For space applications, it is essential to use materials that can endure the extreme conditions of low Earth orbit (LEO), including temperature variations, atomic oxygen, and vacuum, while also possessing excellent electromagnetic properties. This work utilizes a space-grade cyanate ester composite, known for its thermal stability, low outgassing, and mechanical robustness. This material's unique properties are essential for antennas intended to operate in space. Beam-scanning antennas are also particularly crucial for space applications, enabling adaptive coverage. This work presents an electromagnetic characterization of a cyanate ester composite, and its use to fabricate a novel C-band leaky-wave antenna, which integrates a grounded coplanar waveguide structure and unique feeding method. A silver ink is deposited for the conductive layers and the geometry is machined using a femtosecond laser. The relative permitivity was measured to be centered on 3.5 from 1–20 GHz. The antenna demonstrates a bandwidth of 3 GHz, and $94^{\mathrm{o}}$ of frequency beam steering for a gain range of 6.4-9.1 dBi.