San Diego State University¶
Type: Academia (MSI — Hispanic-Serving Institution) | Location: San Diego, CA | SST projects: 1
SST Portfolio¶
| Project | Title | Period | TRL | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106823 | Flat Panel Phased Array Antennas — 5G Ka-Band for Lunar | 2020-07 → 2022-06 | 3→5 | Completed | transitioned |
What Was Developed¶
5G Ka-band flat-panel phased array antenna with two simultaneous electronically steerable beams for Tx/Rx communications between a 6U CubeSat and lunar surface, Gateway, and Earth. Uses commercial 5G silicon RFIC beamformers (Anokiwave AWMF-0164). Dual-band: 25.5–27.5 GHz and 22.55–23.55 GHz.
Key innovation: leveraging terrestrial 5G mass-market components for space communications — the same silicon beamformer chips used in cell towers, applied to lunar relay nodes.
Key People¶
Satish K Sharma — PI¶
Professor of ECE at SDSU. IEEE Fellow. Director, Antenna and Microwave Lab. Specialist in phased array antennas, massive MIMO, millimeter-wave systems.
- CEO/founder of 5GAntennaTech LLC — company commercializing phased array technology
- TechPort footprint: 2 projects across 2 programs:
- 106823 — Flat Panel Phased Array (SST, 2020–2022, TRL 3→5)
- 106617 — FIGARO-FT: 5G Array for Lunar Relay Operations Flight Test (FO, 2021–2024, TRL 4→5)
- Publications: IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation + conference papers
Upstream Lineage¶
| Source | Program | Connection | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharma antenna lab (pre-SST) | — | Terrestrial 5G phased array expertise applied to space | suggestive |
Downstream Impact¶
SST→FO Pipeline (Confirmed)¶
FIGARO-FT 106617: Flight Opportunities project that directly continued the SST-developed technology.
- High-altitude balloon flight test: September 26, 2024 (confirmed via NASA FO page + Stratocat)
- Ka-band flat-panel phased array antenna in bent-pipe relay configuration
- Objectives: ground terminal tracking, HAB relay communications, high-resolution video streaming, >100 MB data transfer between ground users
- Glenn Research Center collaboration
- SmallSat 2025 presentation (NTRS 20250008162)
- SmallSat Conference paper (NTRS 20250004153)
This is a confirmed SST→FO pipeline with flight test, paralleling Alexeenko/Purdue (FEMTA) and LaMeres/Montana State (RadSat) patterns.
5GAntennaTech LLC (Company)¶
Sharma founded 5GAntennaTech LLC to commercialize phased array antenna technology. The relationship between the NASA-funded work and the commercial venture is suggestive but not fully traced (the company may focus on terrestrial 5G rather than space applications).
LunaNet Architecture Alignment¶
FIGARO is explicitly designed for LunaNet relay nodes — NASA's planned lunar communications and navigation architecture. If LunaNet advances, FIGARO-class antennas could be key enablers. Complements: - UCLA/Wong [106828] — LunaNet PNT module (navigation layer) - Caltech/Vahala [155361] — microphotonic clocks (timing layer)
Publications¶
- NTRS 20250008162: "5G Arrays for Lunar Relay Operations – Flight Test" (SmallSat 2025)
- NTRS 20250004153: "FIGARO (5G Phased Array Antenna for Lunar Relay Operations) High-Altitude Balloon Flight Test"
- NTRS 20220006554: "5G Arrays for Lunar Relay Operations (FIGARO)"
- Multiple IEEE TAP publications on phased array design
Assessment¶
Outcome category: transitioned (SST→FO pipeline, balloon flight Sep 2024)
Reclassification: Previously "no-visible-outcome" (session 14). Upgraded to "transitioned" after discovering the FIGARO-FT FO flight test and 5GAntennaTech spinout.
Pattern: "SST→FO Pipeline" + "Academic Spinout" — same dual pattern as LaMeres/Montana State (SST→FO + Resilient Computing spinout). SST developed the antenna, FO flew the test, and the PI has a commercial venture.
Distinctive: Only MSI (Minority-Serving Institution) in SST with a confirmed flight test. The 5G terrestrial→space crossover is a novel approach — most SST comms projects start from space heritage, not cell tower components.
Cross-reference: UCLA (LunaNet complementary), Caltech (LunaNet timing), Comms topic
Last updated: 2026-04-14 (session 20)