High-Gain Compact Circularly Polarized X-Band Superstrate Antenna for CubeSat Applications

In this letter, a concept of high-gain circularly polarized X-band antenna employing a partially reflecting surface (PRS) has been presented. In the initial antenna analysis, the influence of parasitic elements size in the PRS structure on antenna radiation pattern parameters has been investigated and the optimal arrangement of the elements has been identified. The proposed antenna provides wide bandwidth of return loss above 10 dB of 20% (8-9.8 GHz) and circular polarization in a frequency range 8.35-8.95 GHz. The final design is compact (62 62 22.2 mm) and lightweight (29.7 g), which makes it suitable for use in CubeSat X-band communication systems but also drone and high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) applications.