Mobile CubeSat Command and Control (MC3) 3-meter dish calibration and capabilities

Abstract

The Mobile CubeSat Command and Control (MC3) architecture is a growing network of ground stations that spans the United States of America. It was designed to support the National Reconnaissance Office’s Experimental CubeSat Program. Each node was originally designed to communicate via UHF and S-band frequencies using Yagi antenna only. The MC3 ground station at the Naval Postgraduate School has recently incorporated a 3-meter S-band dish. This thesis documents the calibration and capabilities of the new S-band dish. It also investigates the possibility of using the antenna outside of its normal operating range. In particular, the idea of using an S-band, 3-meter dish to receive UHF band signals was tested by designing a UHF signal feed optimized for 915 MHz and used to listen to a UHF source deployed on a high altitude balloon at near orbital distances. In addition, this document discusses the integration of a dish system into current and future MC3 ground stations.