The antenna design for broadband satellite communications is particularly challenging, new cost-effective solutions are still needed. An overview of recent contributions from the authors on planar transmit-arrays (TAs) for satellite Kaband user terminals is presented. We tackle several design problems: how to improve the scanning coverage using low cost mechanical beam steering, how to choose the type of unit cells that compose the TA, how to devise a single aperture with high gain that operates simultaneous at two widely separate frequency bands. Different prototypes are used to conduct these studies. All these TAs provide wide beam zenith scanning, [-50º,50º] with less that 3dB of scan loss, good circular polarization performance and low beam distortions. The prototypes have the same aperture size, 195 × 145 mm2, that provide gains up to 29 dBi for 30 GHz.

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Transmit-arrays,High-gain antennas,Wide-beam steering,Mechanical scanning,Dual band,Circular polarization,Satellite-on-the-move (SOTM),Ka-band

• Physical Sciences - Natural Sciences

This publication is an output of the following project(s):

• Compact Lens-Based Mechanically Steered Ka-Band user Terminal Antenna