ISARA Spacecraft

ISARA
ISARA
ISARA
ISARA
ISARA
Satellite name ISARA (Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna for High Bandwidth CubeSat, CUMULOS)
Form factor CubeSat
Units or mass 3U
Status Reentry 2022-02-23. Was operational (Public news on 2019-05-23)
Launched 2017-11-12
NORAD ID 43050
Deployer NRCSD-E (External NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer)
Launcher Antares
Deployment Deployed from Cygnus on 2017-12-07
Organisation NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Institution Space agency
Entity Government (Civil / Military)
Nation US
Launch brokerer Nanoracks
Partners Pumpkin
Oneliner

Demonstrate deployable reflectarray and Ka-band communications.

Description

Demonstrate a high bandwidth Ka-band CubeSat communications capability that is ready for immediate infusion into commercial, government and military systems. For a modest increase in mass, volume and cost, this technology will increase downlink data rates from a baseline of 9.6 kbps for existing UHF systems to over 100 Mbps - a 105 fold increase in data capacity.

The key to this technical advance is a high gain antenna (HGA) that will be integrated into a commercially available 3U CubeSat solar array with minimal modification of the existing solar panel design. ISARA will fly a nominal 5 month SFV mission that demonstrates the 100 Mbps data rate and elevates the antenna technology from TRL 5 to TRL 7

Results
  • First reflectarray antenna flown in space.
  • First high gain antenna integrated with solar panels (low mass delta).
  • First calibrated antenna gain measurement performed from space –33.4 dB peak.
  • First 100 Mbps CubeSat (3U) telecom downlink capability (from LEO).
Notes
Sources [1] [2] [3]
Photo sources [1]
Keywords Reflectarray, Ka-band
Space photos ISARAISARAISARAISARA

[1] [2] [3]

On the same launch

Last modified: 2024-10-05

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Created by Erik Kulu

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