Design and Implementation of Rectangular Patch Antenna Array for Uplink and Downlink in The Starlink Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications System

This research investigates the development of a rectangular microstrip antenna array, employing an aperture coupled patch feeding technique, specifically designed to facilitate communication between ground stations and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, operating across the X-band and Ku-band frequencies (10.7-12.7 GHz for downlink and 14-14.5 GHz for uplink). Microstrip antennas, characterized by thin metallic patches on a dielectric substrate, known for their compact size and ease of integration, aim to improve coverage and signal quality from Starlink satellites. Simulations in CST Studio Suite optimized key parameters, resulting in a return loss below -10 dB and VSWR below 2, indicating effective impedance matching. The antenna demonstrated gains of 15.33 dBi for downlink and 12 dBi for uplink, with a half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of 6.3 to 7.7 degrees. Fabrication results confirmed a downlink gain of 15.2 dBi and an uplink gain of 12 dBi, with an HPBW of 5°. The design maintains acceptable side-lobe levels from -8.7 dB to -12.8 dB. The prototype meets expected specifications and future research on antenna arrays, high-power amplifiers (HPA), and low-noise amplifiers (LNA) could expand internet access in underserved regions of Indonesia, considering both social and economic factors.