Combined UHF/X-band proximity link antenna for future Mars telecommunications orbiters

In either a stowed or deployed configuration, a satellite typically is not capable of handling several large antenna apertures. The satellite is burdened further by the associated mounting hardware and deployment mechanism of each antenna which adds weight and volume to the satellite. One solution to this problem is to combine two or more antenna apertures into a single unit to reduce weight, complexity and cost and to free up valuable space on the satellite for other critical sensors and equipment storage. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation (BATC) provides such a solution through its Vitreousreg antenna technology. This technology utilizes antennas that are electrically transparent to each other and combines them within a single volume. This paper presents a Vitreousreg UHF/X-band antenna array developed by BATC for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for future Mars Telecommunications Orbiters (MTO). This relatively low frequency antenna functions properly at its intended frequency, yet appears transparent to higher frequency signals. The design is a 9-element Vitreousreg UHF array with an embedded high gain X-band array, which provides 15 dBic of gain at UHF from 390 to 450 MHz in a package that is 1.4times1.4times0.06 m in size. The planar X-band array is mounted beneath a Vitreousreg patch and shares a common ground plane with the UHF array. It provides 24 dBic of gain at 7.17 GHz and 27 dBic gain at 8.42 GHz. The use of Vitreousreg antenna technology allows packaging of both UHF and X-band arrays within the same volume as a single UHF array