Characterisation of astronomical antenna for space based low frequency radio telescope

The Orbiting Low Frequency Antenna for Radio Astronomy (OLFAR) project is a feasibility study investigating a low frequency radio telescope in space using a swarm of autonomous nano satellites. Due to ionospheric interference found at frequencies below 30 MHz, such an instrument is not feasible on earth. The effect of the non-symmetrical deployment of the antenna and the effect of the non-uniform dimensions of the satellites on the antenna properties are investigated.