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A mighty antenna from a tiny CubeSat grows | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

A mighty antenna from a tiny CubeSat grows


Abstract:

By packing big antennas into small satellites, JPL engineers are making space science cheap.

Abstract:

By packing big antennas into small satellites, JPL engineers are making space science cheap.
Published in: IEEE Spectrum ( Volume: 55, Issue: 2, February 2018)
Page(s): 32 - 37
Date of Publication: 05 February 2018

ISSN Information:


The Challenge Began Simply Enough

One morning in November 2014, Kamal Oudrhiri, a colleague of mine at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in Pasadena, Calif., burst into my office with an intriguing proposition. A first-of-its-kind satellite was headed for Mars. The satellite would fly alongside NASA's InSight Mars Lander, relaying data in real time back to Earth during the lander's critical entry, descent, and landing. “We have to achieve 8 kilobits per second, and we're limited in terms of power. Our only hope is a large antenna,” Oudrhiri explained. “Oh, and the satellite itself will be only about the size of a briefcase.”