Gimbaled Deployable Ka-Band Antenna for CubeSats and SmallSats
Arquimea
Lightweight, foldable, flight-proven (TRL 9) gimbaled Ka-band deployable antenna for CubeSats and SmallSats in the 26.5–40 GHz range for space-to-ground, ISL, and data relay applications.
Technical specifications
- Frequency band
- Ka-band (26.5–40 GHz)
- TRL
- 9 (flight-proven)
- Completed missions
- 3 (ISS and nano-satellite)
- Target platforms
- CubeSats (6U+), SmallSats
- Applications
- Space-to-ground connectivity, ISL, data relay (LEO-MEO, LEO-GEO)
- BeamBox payload composition
- Expandable antenna + RF Front End + SDR + Data Storage
About
ARQUIMEA offers a flight-proven gimbaled deployable Ka-band antenna designed for integration into CubeSats and SmallSats. The lightweight, foldable antenna stows for launch and deploys in orbit when the satellite reaches its operational position, enabling high-bandwidth communications in the 26.5–40 GHz Ka-band. The system has achieved TRL-9 through three successfully completed missions on the International Space Station (ISS) and nano-satellite platforms.
The gimbaled deployable antenna enables space-to-ground connectivity, inter-satellite links (ISL) for satellite constellations, and data relay via LEO-MEO and LEO-GEO architectures. ARQUIMEA also offers the BeamBox — a complete Ka-band LEO communications payload integrating the deployable antenna with an RF Front End, Software Defined Radio (SDR), and Data Storage in a single nano- or small satellite-compatible unit.
The antenna technology was co-developed and validated through ARQUIMEA’s stake in NSLComm/BeetleSat, where a 60 cm expandable antenna from a 6U CubeSat was successfully deployed in orbit using shape memory material parabolic construction.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
