New Concept of Telemetry X-Band Circularly Polarized Antenna Payload for CubeSat

This letter presents a new concept of compact circularly polarized X-band [8-8.4 GHz] antenna for the 3U-CubeSat platforms. Despite the integration constraints on the top face of the CubeSat, the design aims at an isoflux radiation pattern. This antenna associates a driving patch antenna and 12 parasitic crossed dipoles, both to minimize the axial ratio in the opening angle θ = ±65° and to shape the radiation pattern. The patch excitation is carried out by a compact sequential-phase feed microstrip circuit. This antenna is manufactured and measured.