FABRIC SCIENCE

DOCUMENTATION ON:
KNITTING OF SATELLITE ANTENNA

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY

MR SUMIT KUMAR BHASWATI PANDA

ASST. PROFESSOR BFT/17/415

NIFT BHUBNESHWAR
KNITTING IN SATELLITE ANTENNA
Putting objects in space is expensive, and the heavier they are, the more it costs.
Collaboration between Nottingham Trent University and Oxford Space Systems has
succeeded putting knitting and space together. Satellites are pretty expensive to
build, but they are very expensive to get into orbit. Antenna is one of the key
components onboard small satellites as its design determines the performance of all
the wireless systems including telemetry, tracking and control, high-speed data
downlink, navigation, intersatellite communications, intrasatellite communications,
wireless power transfer, radars and sensors, etc.It is also very heavy weighted. For
this reason satellite makers like to keep their creations compact, and one way of
doing this is to use deployable structures. Satellites for Earth Observation and
Surveillance need large dishes to maximize the radio waves they can collect. A lead
project professor said with the help of advancement in knitting they can now knit an
antenna which is extremely light-weight , cost effective and robust enough to
withstand solar radiation. Using wires thinner than a human hair they are developing
a ultra- light satellite antenna for use in space.

Knitting with gold wire

Knitting with wire is a lot less fluid than yarn. The material of the antenna is gold-
plated wire of width less than 50 micrometres (0.002 inches) thick, thinner than most
human hairs. The gold-plating offers protection against the radiation of space. It
increases the thermal stability and reflects high frequency signals. Although gold is
not light, as the most malleable of all the elements, the plating can be so thin it adds
very little to the telescope's weight. Gold plating is used as it plastically deforms
under tension, so that when wires are pulled against each other, they ‘mould’ into
each other to give a high-quality electrical connection and an electrically neutral
overall parabolic surface.”
Knitting the wires into the shape of a parabolic disk makes for less waste than
alternative techniques. A knitted mesh also has the flexibility to be folded up tight
during launch without damage. The wire - which is less than half a millimetre thick - is
gold-plated to make it more resistant to the harsh operational environment of space.
By using advanced knitting techniques, the researchers aim to produce membrane-
like structures that can be shaped into 3-D parabolas resembling the ideal reflector
antenna geometry. By making a satellite antenna as lightweight as possible, we can
save on valuable materials and make the technology easier to deliver to space. And
by applying novel knitting techniques, they can eradicate waste from the
manufacturing process and save on valuable resources.

These new, lightweight antennas will deploy easily once in space. They will open out
much like an umbrella creating the perfect parabolic shape for reflecting high
frequency radio signals. They will be used to send and receive radio signals from
satellites in Earth orbit. The gold plating, while expensive, is essential for the
antennas to survive in the harsh environment of space. Given the price of gold
wastage is a prime concern for the project. The techniques used aim to minimise this
wastage as much as possible.

WIRE KNITTING MACHINE is a versatile high-speed

core-knitting machine. It has been designed to knit fine
wires around a core which can be of solid mesh,
neoprene, tubular rubber hose, ceramic rope and
others. This machine can knit a flattened finished mesh
without a core as well as round or oval mesh with a
core. It is also use for manufacturing high temperature
seals.

Professor Tilak Dias who is head of ATRG in Nottingham Trent University’s Art &
Design department said ‘’Few people associate knitting with high-end space
technology. However due to the advancements in knitting technology we can now
knit an antenna which is extremely lightweight, cost-effective and robust enough to
withstand solar radiation. This is a very exciting research project. And by working with
Oxford Space Systems, we hope it will lead to the UK becoming a manufacturing
centre for similar high-performance space materials.”
A senior lecturer in the project and researcher Will Hurley also said “By making a
satellite antenna as lightweight as possible, we can save on valuable materials and
make the technology easier to deliver to space. And by applying novel knitting
techniques, we can eradicate waste from the manufacturing process and save on
valuable resources. When you consider that knitted gold wire can cost hundreds of
thousands of pounds per square metre, waste is something we have to be very
mindful of.”

REFERENCES

1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=8303877
2. http://www.innovationintextiles.com/researchers-knit-satellite-antenna-for-
outer-space/
3. https://www.everythingrf.com/News/details/5666-Researchers-Knit-a-
Satellite-Antenna-Out-of-Gold-Wires-for-Use-in-Outer-Space
4. http://www.iflscience.com/space/scientists-are-knitting-yes-knitting-a-
satellite-out-of-gold/
5. https://www.exportersindia.com/indian-suppliers/wire-knitting-machine.htm