All-Metal Antennas for Lunar Exploration

Simons, Rainee N.; Zemba, Michael; Piasecki, Marie T.; Pember, Taylor C.; Dever, Sarah M.; Miranda, Félix A.

doi:10.23919/usnc-ursinrsm57470.2023.10043141

Cited by 3 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Another significant advantage is the elimination of all dielectric materials in the antenna structure, which prevents electrostatic charge accumulation and related noise. Moreover, a short backfire design may be simply made and is lightweight, without the need for complex deployment procedures [ 60 ]. In recognition of its high gain, high efficiency, minimal side lobes, great front-to-back ratio, small form, and sturdy construction, the short backfire antenna (SBFA), initially reported in 1965, has been widely employed in space, marine, and terrestrial applications.…”

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In [ 60 ], construction is illustrated of an X-band short backfire antenna, specifically designed to meet the requirements of communication and navigation applications in the harsh environments of space and the lunar surface. Additionally, it enables direct communication with Earth from both the lunar surface and the lunar orbit space.…”

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The proposed antenna has a cylindrical primary reflector and a circular sub-reflector disc. The antenna is linearly polarized and has high gain due to its rectangular waveguide feed incorporated into the main reflector [ 60 ].…”

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multiple designs of the above-mentioned basic antenna construction have also been created and discussed in [ 60 ]. First, a concave reflector was constructed by tilting the back face of the primary reflector forward by 15 degrees.…”

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These antennas produce a gain ranging from 13.4 to 15.6 dB in the cylindrical design and from 12.5 to 14.2 dB in the hexagonal design over the X-band frequencies. The −10 dB return loss bandwidth for the cylindrical main reflector is 8.92 to 9.4 GHz, while it is 8.0 to 8.42 GHz for the hexagonal main reflector [ 60 , 64 , 65 ], enabling a narrowband operation compared to inf-IRA. Table 7 , Table 8 and Table 9 compare reflector lunar antennas in terms of application, performance, and simulation parameters.…”

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

A Review of Lunar Communications and Antennas: Assessing Performance in the Context of Propagation and Radiation

Serria,

Gadhafi,

AlMaeeni

et al. 2023

Sensors

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Over the previous two decades, a notable array of space exploration missions have been initiated with the primary aim of facilitating the return of both humans and robots from Earth to the moon. The significance of these endeavors cannot be emphasized enough as numerous entities, both public and private, from across the globe have invested substantial resources into this pursuit. Researchers have committed their efforts to addressing the challenges linked to lunar communication. Even with all of these efforts, only a few of the many suggested designs for communication and antennas on the moon have been evaluated and compared. These designs have also not been shared with the scientific community. To bridge this gap in the existing body of knowledge, this paper conducts a thorough review of lunar surface communication and the diverse antenna designs employed in lunar communication systems. This paper provides a summary of the findings presented in lunar surface communication research while also outlining the assorted challenges that impact lunar communication. Apart from various antenna designs reported in this field, based on their intended usage, two additional classifications are introduced: (a) mission-based antennas—utilized in actual lunar missions—and (b) research-based antennas—employed solely for research purposes. Given the critical need to comprehend and predict lunar conditions and antenna behaviors within those conditions, this review holds immense significance. Its relevance is particularly pronounced in light of the numerous upcoming lunar missions that have been announced.

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Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lunar Antenna Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

A Review of Lunar Communications and Antennas: Assessing Performance in the Context of Propagation and Radiation

Serria,

Gadhafi,

AlMaeeni

et al. 2023

Sensors

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Wideband Low-Profile Circularly Polarized All-Metal Antenna for Triton Exploration

Niyonzima,

Vryghem,

Bodehou

et al. 2024

2024 18th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP)

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Investigating the Impact of Lunar Rover Structure and Lunar Surface Characteristics on Antenna Performance

Gadhafi,

Serria,

AlMaeeni

et al. 2024

Sensors

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This article explores the influence of lunar regolith and rover structure, such as mast design and material composition, on antenna parameters. It focuses on the distinctive difficulties of communication in the lunar environment, which need specialized antenna solutions. This study specifically examines the performance of antennas on the lunar Rashid rover within the Atlas crater, a landing site on the moon, considering two antenna types: a sleeve dipole antenna and an all-metal patch antenna. Thermal analyses reveal temperatures in the Atlas crater can exceed 80 °C during lunar mid-day. The findings highlight the effect of different materials used as thermal coatings for Rashid rover antennas, as well as the influence of rover materials on antenna performance. Furthermore, this study extends to analyze the conductivity and depth of lunar regolith within the Atlas crater. Given the critical role of antennas in wireless communication, understanding how lunar regolith properties affect antenna performance is essential. This research contributes to the creation of a strong communication system for the Rashid rover and future lunar missions by considering the features of the lunar regolith in addition to the rover’s size and material attributes.

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All-Metal Antennas for Lunar Exploration

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

A Review of Lunar Communications and Antennas: Assessing Performance in the Context of Propagation and Radiation

A Review of Lunar Communications and Antennas: Assessing Performance in the Context of Propagation and Radiation

Wideband Low-Profile Circularly Polarized All-Metal Antenna for Triton Exploration

Investigating the Impact of Lunar Rover Structure and Lunar Surface Characteristics on Antenna Performance

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