Thermal Effects of the Space Environment on the Radiation Characteristics of a Reflector Antenna in LEO Satellite

Abstract

Antennas, which are usually installed on the outer shell of these systems, are therefore always exposed to the thermal fluctuations of the space environment. Thermal fluctuations cause the antenna surfaces to expand, contract and distort and can cause the antenna to malfunction. In this paper, the effects of thermal expansion and contraction due to an LEO orbital mission on the radial characteristics of two X-band reflective antennas, one broadband antenna and the other narrowband, And the resulting radiation characteristics are compared with the characteristics of equivalent sample antennas at ambient temperature. Analyses show that narrowband antennas are very vulnerable to thermal fluctuations and, therefore, it is necessary to choose the material of the antennas from materials whose thermal expansion coefficient is very small. In addition, choosing the appropriate protection method to maintain the optimal performance of the antenna is one of the most essential activities in the construction of space antennas.

Keywords

• low earth orbit
• thermal cycling
• reflector antenna
• x-band frequency