Design and Implementation of Ground Station for LEO Satellite

Abstract

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and
evaluation of a Very High Frequency (VHF) Eggbeater
antenna operating at 145 MHz for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
satellite communication. The antenna consists of two
perpendicular loop elements fed with a 90° phase shift to
achieve right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and
near-omnidirectional radiation, eliminating the need for
mechanical tracking. The antenna was designed analytically
and optimized using computer simulation technology (CST)
Studio Suite to improve impedance matching and radiation
performance. A prototype was fabricated and tested, achieving
a VSWR of 1.517 at the operating frequency 145 MHz with
good impedance matching. Radiation pattern measurements
showed stable horizontal coverage and the experimental results
agreed well with theoretical free-space path loss calculations.
The proposed antenna provides a simple, low-cost, and
effective solution for Automatic Packet Reporting System
(APRS) reception and educational LEO satellite ground
stations.