Engineering topics
Sauder, Jonathan
Publications and source records attributed to Sauder, Jonathan.
RainCube: The First Spaceborne Precipitation Radar in a 6U CubeSat: From Concept to Mission
UNKNOWN
X/Ka-band one-meter deployable mesh reflector for Deep Space Network telecommunication
A deployable one meter mesh reflector compatible with 12U-class CubeSat is introduced for telecommunication. It is compatible with NASA’s deep-space network (DSN) at X-band (i.e., uplink: 7.145-7.19 GHz; downlink: 8.4-8.45 GHz) and Ka-band frequencies (i.e., uplink: 34.2–34.7 GHz; downlink: 31.8–32.3 GHz). Three right-handed circularly polarized (RHCP) antennas, both transmit and receive, are introduced here: X-band only, Ka-band only, and X/Ka-band.
RainCube: The First Spaceborne Precipitation Radar in a 6U CubeSat: From Concept to Mission
UNKNOWN
Parabolic Deployable Antenna
A deployable antenna is described. The antenna comprises a mesh attached to foldable ribs, a hub and a sub-reflector. The antenna can be stowed in a tight space for launching in space, and later deployed by extending out of its container. The antenna is designed to work in the Ka band or other bands and can increase data rates and function as a radio antenna.
Lessons Learned from a Deployment Mechanism for a Ka-band Deployable Antenna for CubeSats
The Ka-band parabolic deployable antenna (KaPDA) is a 0.5 meter diameter antenna which fits in a tiny, CubeSat compatible 10 cm by 10 cm by 16 cm volume. The design evolved from a rough concept in an R&D proposal to a fully flight qualified design, scheduled for launch in May of 2018, in a timeframe of just 4 years. This paper focuses on key lessons learned on maintaining precision through structural depth, use of fixtures and additive manufacturing for fabrication, the design of robust, deterministic mechanisms, and the dangers of friction and press fits
Automaton Rover for Extreme Environments (AREE): rethinking an approach to rover mobility
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RainCube, a Ka-band Precipitation Radar in a 6U CubeSat
RainCube (Radar in a CubeSat) is a 6U CubeSat mission between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (Tyvak). The objective of the mission is to develop, launch, and operate a 35.75 GHz nadirpointing precipitation profiling radar payload to validate a new architecture for Ka-band radars and an ultra-compact deployable Ka-band antenna design in the space environment. RainCube will also demonstrate the feasibility of a radar payload on a CubeSat platform. The radar payload is the evolution of two previous JPL research and development technologies – the miniaturized Ka-band atmospheric radar (miniKaAR) and the 0.5m diameter Ka-band parabolic deployable antenna (KaPDA). JPL has contracted Tyvak to develop the spacecraft bus, integrate the payload, and operate the spacecraft. RainCube is currently in integration and test with an expected ready-for-delivery in September 2017.
Inflatable Antenna for CubeSat: A New Spherical Design for Increased X-Band Gain
Interplanetary CubeSats and small satellites have potential to provide means to explore space and to perform science in a more affordable way. As the goals for these spacecraft become more ambitious in space exploration, the communication systems currently implemented will need to be improved to support those missions. One of the bottlenecks is the antennas’ size, due to the close relation between antenna gain and dimensions. Hence, a possible solution is to develop inflatable antennas which can be packaged efficiently, occupying a small amount of space, and they can provide, once deployed, large dish dimension and correspondent gain. A prototype of a 1 m inflatable antenna for X-Band has been developed in a joint effort between JPL and ASU. After initial photogrammetry tests and radiation tests, it was discovered that the design was not able to meet the required gain. As a result, a new design, based on a spherical inflatable membrane, is proposed. This new design will allow reaching a more stable inflatable surface, hence improving the electromagnetic performance. This paper will detail the principle challenges in developing this new antenna focusing on: design, EM analysis, fabrication and tests.