Started as educational tools, CubeSats have immediately encountered the favor of the scientific community,
subsequently becoming viable platforms for research and commercial applications. To ensure competitive data
rates, some pioneers have started to explore the usage of the Ka-band beside the conventional amateur radio
frequencies. In this context, this study proposes a phased antenna array design for Ka-band downlink
operations consisting of 8×8 circularly polarized subarrays of microstrip patches filling one face of a single
CubeSat unit. The conceived structure is developed to support 1.5 GHz bandwidth and dual-task missions,
whose feasibility is verified by proper link budgets. The dual-task operations are enabled by a low-complexity
phase-only control algorithm that provides pattern reconfigurability in order to satisfy both orbiting and
intersatellite missions, while remaining adherent to the cost-effective CubeSat paradigm.
