Design of X-Band Transmit & Ka-band Reflect Frequency Selective Surface for Deep Space Applications

In this paper, we propose a dual-band Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) array designed for X-band transmission and Ka-band reflection. The proposed planar FSS will be used as a preliminary design for hyperbolic dichroic sub-reflector, in a dual-reflector antenna system meant for deep space application. This design eliminates the need for separate antennas for each frequency, thereby significantly reducing the overall size and mass, which is a critical resource in a satellite application. Towards this, a unit cell, consisting of two printed dielectric layers stacked together to form the FSS, is designed. This design allows X-band signals (7.1-8.5 GHz) to pass through it while reflecting Ka-band (31.8-32.3 GHz) signals. The design is simulated and optimized using full-wave EM solver and validated through measurements. Simulated and experimental results are discussed in the paper proving the effectiveness of the design.