Increasing the Data Volume Returned from Small Satellites

An X-band Antenna Pointing Mechanism has been developed in order to improve the power efficieny of data downlinking on small, low cost Science and Earth Observation satellite missions. This permits the accompanying payload chain to support high speed data storages, processing, and downlinking in X-hand. The system is scalable, and can be implemented in redundant or single string configuration. The unique aspect of the downlink chain is the implementation of an antenna pointing mechanism. Such systems have not been used before on small satellites before, but it permit the system designer to either maximise the downlink data throughput, or minimise the power resources on the spacecraft. As such, the small antenna pointing mechanism is an enabling technology in commercialisation of small EO spacecraft missions.