SBIR Phase I: Ultra Wide Band (UWB) Ka-Band Flat Panel Antenna

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to advance the development of Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) Flat Panel Antenna (FPA) which is a catalyst for ubiquitous, satellite-based communication. This project focuses on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Ka-band frequencies (Tx 27.5-31GHz, Rx 17.7-21.2GHz) with FPA capable of connecting to all three constellations: Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) simultaneously.

The development of these FPA will enable a new era of satellite communication, making the internet network a global network regardless of the user’s location on earth, with speeds comparable to, and in some cases higher than, land-based networks. FPA technology may spur further research into higher millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies and the bandwidth benefits they offer.

FPA technology may also be an enabler of the future hybrid wireless network used in connected cars and machines with direct Line of Sight (LOS) to a satellite.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel method of radiating aperture design for high bandwidth, high efficiency, low-cost, and lightweight next-generation satellite terminal Flat Panel Antenna (FPA). Recent activities in the satellite industry such as the new LEO constellations and High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) networks in GEO orbit have prompted the development of the FPA to be used in the user’s terminal.

To support such a multi-orbit constellation, certain performance criteria such as Bandwidth, polarization diversity, cross-polarization rejection, and Antenna Gain need to be met with sufficient margin to guarantee reliable communication links. The existing Flat Panel Antenna technologies are either narrowband or bulky, which makes them not suitable for emerging satellite technology or multi-orbit communication.

As a result, there is a need for a new Flat Panel Antenna that can cover the entire Ka-band frequencies (both Tx and Rx) to unlock the full potential of satellite communication in the Ka-band. The core of this project is developing the novel technology with all the attributes needed for multi-orbit communication.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.