The antenna system on a small satellite is a critical component, as a failure of the antenna can lead to mission failure. Present antenna systems are typically wire “whip” antennas that are fragile, prone to breakage, and are quite protrusive from the cubesat body. The main objective of this research is to replace these off-the-shelf whip antennas with low-profile transparent microstrip antennas that are integrated into the frame of the cubesat body, directly over the solar panels. The low-profile designs will not protrude from the cubesat surface by more than 5 mm, and will be mechanically durable.
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