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Research Article |

A Geometrically Reconfigurable Patch Antenna with Resonant-Mode Control for CubeSat Communications

Author(s): Baydaa Ali Ismail1, Israa Hazem Ali2

Published In : International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Research (IJEER)        Volume 14, Issue 2

Publisher : FOREX Publication

Published : 20 June 2026

e-ISSN : 2347-470X

Page(s) : 343-350

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37391/IJEER.140211

Abstract

Compact and effective antenna designs are needed to meet the radiation stability, lightweight, and compactness criteria of CubeSat communication systems. This study presents a CST Studio Suite-optimized tiny single-layer microstrip patch antenna for X-band CubeSat applications. In order to improve radiation performance and impedance matching without adding more structural complexity, a novel method incorporating resonant-mode control via geometric reshaping is suggested. With a directivity of 5.24 dBi and 6.38 dBi, respectively, and a reflection coefficient (S₁₁) of −20.06 dB at 11.347 GHz and −54.92 dB at 12.809 GHz, the first antenna design exhibits dual-band performance. This setup can be modified to eliminate the lower-order mode and produce a single-band response at 12.232 GHz with improved directivity of 9.30 dBi and S₁₁ of −32.97 dB by changing the feed line and deleting the lateral patch frame. The findings demonstrate that an antenna can shift from a dual-band operation to a high-directivity single-band operation within the same antenna construction by systematically manipulating the resonant modes through controlled geometric adjustments. For dependable X-band CubeSat communication systems, the suggested architecture is low profile, structurally straightforward, and effective.

Keywords: Microstrip patch antenna, X-band, Gain, Cubesat, Directivity.




Baydaa Ali Ismail, Department of Communications, College of Engineering, University of Diyala, Diyala, Iraq; Email: eng_grad_communication2504@uodiyala.edu.iq

Israa Hazem Ali, Department of Communications, College of Engineering, University of Diyala, Diyala, Iraq; Email: israa_hassan_eng@uodiyala.edu.iq

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Baydaa Ali Ismail and Israa Hazem Ali(2026), A Geometrically Reconfigurable Patch Antenna with Resonant-Mode Control for CubeSat Communications. IJEER 14(2), 343-350. DOI: 10.37391/IJEER.140211.