Study and design of a Radio-Frequency chain subsystem for space applications

In recent years, the interest for space exploration has grown significantly and project with increasingly higher budgets are emerging but also lots of parallel researches with lower cost. Among these high-budget projects are scientific satellites, such as those for Earth observation. To analyse the geophysical parameters of the Earth, radiometers instruments are used to study the interaction of photons emitted by the Earth with various particles. This instrument has a considerable size and mass, largely due to its calibration system and given the astronomical cost of a space launch, it is therefore crucial to make the components as small and lightweight as possible. The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of a compact calibration system based on Radio-Frequency (RF) signal routing through a Single Pole Dual Throw (SPDT) switch instead of using a rotating element. Various solutions will be examined and compared to identify the most suitable and effective option for this application. A second objective is to develop a functional and easy-to-use de-embedding tool used for every measurement between 20GHz and 60GHz. This tool aims at suppressing the effect of the fixtures during a measurement to extract the S-parameters of a Device Under Test (DUT) with as much precision as possible. The de-embedding kit is manufactured and the tool is later used for the under probe measurement of the SPDT switch.