Implementation and Validation of a CubeSat Communications System

This work presents the implementation and validation of the complete communications system of the USATI, the first CubeSat satellite of the National University of La Plata. It consists of a dual-band transceiver, a foldable turnstile UHF antenna for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C), and a S-band patch antenna for the transmission of the science data obtained by the payload. The design and simulation of the transceiver and the antennas were presented in previous works with successful results in terms of performance and low mutual interference. Here, the implementation of the flight model and its validation are shown, including the characterization of the antennas and functional tests in controlled and outdoor environments. The results demonstrate the good performance of the whole system. Since the proposed architecture is versatile, the system can also be used in other CubeSat missions.