X-Band for Small Satellite Communication

  • Aerospace Engineering | Fall 2021
As space operations become more accessible to small players, many are looking to the possibility of lunar and deep space projects. In these cases, the distance that must be bridged by communications is enormously greater than in Low Earth Orbit, so more advanced radio technology is necessary to provide adequate bandwidth at such distance. The objective of this project was to develop a complete X-band transceiver design (building on the work done during SURP 2020) to support future deep space CubeSat missions out of Cal Poly and beyond.

Our Team

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Lucas Lucia

Electrical Engineering - Student Team Lead

Lucas Lucia is currently a 3rd-year electrical engineering student with developing interests in space, RF,  and DSP.  As part of the Cal Poly CubeSat Lab and ETOILES electrical teams, Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club, and Audio Engineering Society, he hopes to be behind the next device you use–or satellite you spot in the sky.

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Omer F. Gumus

Electrical Engineering - RF Specialist

Omer F. Gumus is a second year Electrical Engineering Master student interested in RF/Microwave communications. He is a member of the electrical engineering team at the Cal Poly CubeSat Lab. During this SURP, he was one of the principal Electrical Engineers developing the X-Band transceiver.

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Caitlin Feldewerth

Aerospace Engineering - Systems Lead

Caitlin is a 4th year undergraduate studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. She is involved with Cal Poly CubeSat Lab and Society of Women Engineers.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our sponsor, the Northrop Grumman Foundation, for making this project possible. We thank our advisor Dr. Pauline Faure for giving us this opportunity. Special thanks to the knowledgeable Prof. Steve Dunton and CubeSat Lab X-band member Daniel Montgomery for the time spent answering our questions. And thanks to you, the reader, for your interest in our work.

Project Video

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Project Poster

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In the Lab

Project Adivsor

Dr. Pauline Faure

https://aero.calpoly.edu/pauline-faure/

pfaure@calpoly.edu

 

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