Deployable Helical Antenna for Nano-Satellites

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a deployable helical UHF antenna which is able to stow in a 4-in x 4-in x 2-in package and deploy to 54 tall x 14 -in diameter which has been designed, prototyped, and tested. The novel structure is composed of S-2 Fiberglass/PEEK thermoplastic composite strips assembled in a precise configuration and collapsed such that the stowed package integrates within a 0.5U CubeSat. Deployment is achieved on orbit using only stored strain energy. Deployment testing at 1g and RF testing has been completed and results will be presented