Japanese engineers have invented a way to overcome the difficulties of transmitting large amounts of data through small cube satellites. For this, they created an origami antenna, which in the folded state occupies a very small volume.
CubeSats have become a popular solution for small teams, conducting independent research. However, the volume of information transfer is gradually increasing, and it has become a problem for small devices. Effective transmission of large volumes requires a powerful amplifier. According to the laws of physics, providing high power requires an antenna of significant dimensions, placement of which in the limited body of the cubesat is technically impossible.
In order to solve the problem of transmitting large volumes of data, researchers from the Tokyo Scientific Institute have developed a new antenna, which is arranged according to the principle of origami - folding three-dimensional shapes made of paper. It consists of a transparent membrane, which includes conductive and insulating layers. Inside the antenna are flexible electronic components in the form of small U-shaped structures, attached to elements, which can reflect waves. The film is stretched over folding arrows, which are made of material with a memory effect. It is the same, that they do not need additional drives to deploy. In the folded state, the size of the structure is 10x10x6 cm, which allows it to be placed inside the satellite from only three blocks of cubesats. In the unfolded state, the athene increases in 2,6 times and can work at the frequency 5,8 Hz.
So far, the antenna has been tested on Earth in a special vacuum chamber, which simulates outer space. In the future, it is planned to be placed on board the OrigamiSat-2 satellite.
For reference: OrigamiSat-2 is a Japanese experimental cubesat (small satellite), designed to test a unique folding "origami antenna", the launch of which is scheduled for 2026 year. Its main purpose is to solve the problem of fast transmission of large volumes of data from small satellites.
Source: https://phys.org