NAVISP-EL1-083: Deployable Satellite Navigation Antenna

Last Updated: 03/12/2025 08:52     Created at: 03/12/2025 08:50

On 2 December 2025, a consortium led by Huld, with Radientum and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), presented the results of the NAVISP-EL1-083 project, which focused on the development of a deployable Ka-band antenna for satellite navigation applications.

The motivation for the project stemmed from the increasing use of small and nano satellites in low Earth orbit and the corresponding need for improved navigation accuracy. The study identified the Ka-band as an area with potential for future utilisation, given its advantages in navigation accuracy and compactness, despite its limited use in current missions.

During this project, the actual antenna breadboard was designed, built and manufactured. Testing was conducted at ESA ESTEC. 

The project was fully funded by ESA NAVISP Element 1. The slides are available here.