Compact Right-Handed Circularly Polarized V-Shaped Patch Array Antenna for Nanosatellites

Nanosatellites have opened up significant opportunities for small and medium enterprises and academic institutions in space technology, driving demand for compact, high-performance antennas. This study presents a miniaturized, right-handed circularly polarized (RHCP) V-shaped patch array antenna, integrated with a matched feeding network, tailored for nanosatellite applications. The innovative design achieves a compact 13 × 13 cm² footprint while delivering a high gain of 8.95 dBi, a wide −3 dB beamwidth of 55°, and an axial ratio (AR) of less than 5 dB over a 61° beamwidth. A −10-dB return loss (RL) bandwidth of 80 MHz at 2.45 GHz ensures reliable performance within the S-band. The proposed design offers significant advantages over traditional antennas, including enhanced polarization stability and efficient communication links under orientation shifts, making it ideal for telemetry, tracking, control (TT&C); Earth observation; and remote sensing missions in nanosatellites. These results highlight the antenna’s potential to advance satellite communication systems in compact and constrained environments.