An S-Band Array Antenna for Spacecraft Applications

Utilizing the S-band frequencies for building the radio system of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on spacecraft acquire an increasing interest in recent years as opposed to using L or C-Bands. Therefore in this project a 3.2GHz, S-band 6 x 4 microstrip array antenna is designed. The microstrip antenna is etched on a ferrite substrate having dielectric constant of 4.4 with a height of 1.58mm. Rectangle microstrip antenna is selected for ease of design and very good polarization. The array is suitable for spacecraft applications because of its low profile (thickness and light weight). It has potential applications in synthetic aperture radar (SAR), remote sensing, and wireless communications.