High-Efficiency Deployable V-Band Reflectarray Antenna Design, Tolerance Analysis and Measurement

A deployable reflectarray antenna (RA) using a three-times expansion structure working at the V-band for 12U CubeSat is presented in this paper. Double-circle ring unit cells with excellent dispersion characteristics are used to constitute the layout of the RA. The impact of the tolerance of the gap between boards on the RA’s radiation patterns are shown and discussed. A high expansion compression ratio of 26:1 is achieved by using the three-times expansion structure design. The measured results of the prototype show that the deployable RA achieves performance with high efficiency, a low side lobe level, a low cross-polarization level and a wide band.