Scientists at Tokyo Tech have designed a foldable phased-array transmitter that could make satellites lighter, smaller and more cost-efficient to launch. The transmitter is made of stacked layers of liquid crystal polymer and includes flexible creases to provide flexibility and deployability. The new design could make research and implementation of space technologies more accessible to private companies and start-ups. The team developed a deployable foldable transmitter for small low earth orbit (LEO) satellites operating in the Ka band. The design consists of a 64-element active phased-array transmitter, with the key to the design lying in the stacking of LCP layers to create foldable creases without hampering electrical connections.
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