Patent ID: 8531524

Claim:
A method of producing a tangible imaging micro satellite, the imaging microsatellite having an interior cavity and an opening, a door configured to cover the opening when the microsatellite is in a non-deployed state and to uncover the opening when the microsatellite is in a deployed state, an antenna system attached to the door, the antenna system comprising a reflector and an antenna feed, an imaging system disposed within the interior cavity and configured to image a field of view through the opening when the microsatellite is in the deployed state, the method comprising: obtaining configuration parameters for the microsatellite, the microsatellite configuration parameters comprising dimensions of the microsatellite; obtaining configuration parameters for the imaging system, the imaging system configuration parameters comprising dimensions and layout of the imaging system within the interior cavity of the microsatellite; determining a layout of the antenna system such that: (1) the antenna system does not contact or displace portions of the imaging system when the microsatellite is in the non-deployed state; and (2) the antenna system does not contact portions of the microsatellite when the microsatellite transitions from the non-deployed to the deployed state; and adjusting properties of the antenna system such that the reflector matches a radiation pattern of the antenna feed and a desired antenna gain or data transmission rate is achieved.