Printed antenna for satellite communications

An antenna which has been conceived as a portable system for satellite communications based on the recommendations ITU-R S.580–6 [1] and ITU-R S.465–5 [2] for small antennas, i.e., with a diameter lower than 50 wavelengths, is introduced. It is a planar and a compact structure with a size of 40×40×2 cm. The antenna is formed by an array of 256 printed elements covering a large bandwidth (14.7%) at X-Band with a VSWR of 1.4:1. The specification includes transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx) bands simultaneously. The printed antenna has a radiation pattern with a 3dB beamwidth of 5º, over a 31dBi gain, and a dual and an interchangeable circular polarization.