ByÌýJosh Rhoten

Principals
Seniors from the Department of Mechanical Engineering

Funding
Lockheed Martin Space

Collaboration + support
Industry and Foundation Relations; Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering; First RF Corp.

Â鶹ÒùÔº from Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering with compatible antennaA group of students from the Paul M. Rady Department of MechanicalÌýEngineering have developed a compactable antenna that could allow forÌýmore powerful radio communications from the small satellites of the future.

Developed as a 2022 senior design project for Lockheed Martin Space, theÌýteam’s prototype is a deployable helical antenna that starts in a compressedÌýstate, improving upon current satellite antenna hardware that is fullyÌýdeployed upon launch. After activation in space, the prototype’s antennaÌýcomponent extends to four times its compressed height for full functionality.

The aerospace industry is seeking to shrink the overall size of satellitesÌýwhile retaining or improving on their capabilities. Doing so would not onlyÌýspeed production from decades to years, but could also lower the costÌýof production.