Thermal Effects on a 4.2 m Center-Fed Cassegrain Antenna Strut in the Alphasat Ka- and Q-/V-Band Aldo Paraboni Propagation Measurements

Large gateways of future satellite communications (Satcom) systems will likely operate at Q-/V-band frequencies (40-50 GHz) to take advantage of the larger available bandwidth. On the other hand, Q-/V-band Satcom systems suffer from highly variable propagation losses, which must be accurately assessed and modeled. The Alphasat Aldo Paraboni propagation experiment, conceived and realized by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Rome, Italy, has been running since 2014 to carefully investigate the propagation effects in the Ka- and Q-band and, thus, to support the design of high-throughput systems and propagation impairment mitigation techniques. In the framework of this experiment, ASI deployed two large ground terminals (Cassegrain antenna with 4.2 m diameter) in Tito Scalo (South of Italy) and Spino d'Adda (North of Italy). This contribution investigates the effect of antenna strut elongation on propagation measurements, which causes an additional reduction of 1-2 dB in the received signal during sunny days.