Novel CubeSat Combined Antenna Deployment and Beam Steering Method Using Motorized Rods for Terahertz Space Networks

A method for compactly deploying and beam steering antennas on CubeSats is proposed and validated. The motorized rods increase the resolution of steering compared to industry-standard single-pivot gimbals, while their deployment mechanism eases the stringent size requirements in space. The very high gain and reconfigurability that can be provided through this design can be utilized to realize space networks in the Terahertz domain, where a low power output and high spreading loss can otherwise cripple the communication distance.