Deployment mechanism for an L-Band Helix antenna on-board the 3Cat-4 1U CubeSat

• Published in: 4th Symposium on Space Educational Activities
• Main Authors: Fernandez Capon, Lara Pilar, Sobrino Hidalgo, Marco, Milian, Oriol, Aguilella Merelas, Andrea, Solanellas Bofarull, Arnau, Badia Ballús, Marc, Muñoz Martin, Joan Francesc, Ruiz De Azúa Ortega, Juan Adrián, Sureda Anfres, Miquel, Camps Carmona, Adriano José
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya 2022
• Subjects: Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria de la telecomunicació::Radiocomunicació i exploració electromagnètica::Satèl·lits i ràdioenllaços; Radiation > Measurement; Earth (Planet); Microwaves; CubeSat; GNSS-R; Microwave radiometry; Earth observation; Nanosatellite; Radiació > Mesurament; Terra (Planeta); Microones; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2117/370938; https://doi.org/10.5821/conference-9788419184405.072

Earth Observation (EO) is key for climate and environmental monitoring at global level, and in specific regions where the effects of global warming are more noticeable, such as in polar regions, where ice melt is also opening new commercial maritime routes. Soil moisture is also useful for agriculture and monitoring the advance of desertification, as well as biomass and carbon storage. Global Navigation Satellite System - Reflectometry (GNSS-R) and L-band microwave Radiometry are passive microwave remote sensing techniques that can be used to perform these types of measurements regardless of the illumination and cloud conditions, and -since they are passive- they are well suited for small satellites, where power availability is a limiting factor. GNSS-R was tested from space onboard the UK-DMC and the UK TechDemoSat-1, and several missions have been launched using GNSS-R as main instrument, as CyGNSS, BuFeng-1, or the FSSCAT [1] mission. These missions aim at providing soil moisture [2], ocean wind speed [3], and flooding mapping of the Earth. L-band microwave radiometry data has also been retrieved from space with SMOS and SMAP missions, obtaining sea ice thickness, soil moisture, and ocean salinity data [4]. The 3Cat-4 mission was selected by the ESA Academy "Fly your Satellite" program in 2017. It aims at combining both GNSS-R and L-band Microwave Radiometry at in a low-power and cost-effective 1-Unit (1U) satellite. Moreover, the 3Cat-4 can also detect Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals from vessels. The single payload is the Flexible Microwave Payload 1 (FMPL-1) [5] that performs the signal conditioning and signal processing for GNSS-R, L-Band microwave radiometry and AIS experiments. The spacecraft has three payload antennas: (1) a VHF monopole for AIS signals; (2) an uplooking antenna for the direct GPS signals; (3) a downlooking antenna that captures reflected GPS signals, and for the Microwave Radiometer. The downlooking antenna is a deployable helix antenna called the Nadir Antenna and ...