CASE STUDY: AAC Space Africa

AAC Space Africa is the centre of competence for radio frequency RF communications within the AAC Clyde Space group, supporting satellite missions across the organisation. As the nanosatellite industry evolves from supplying subsystems to offering turnkey missions, including satellite operation and data delivery, AAC Space Africa plays a vital role in enabling these advanced service models.

To meet the demand for efficient satellite constellations, the company developed an innovative wideband patch antenna designed primarily for CubeSats but also adaptable to larger platforms. This compact antenna operates in the commercial S-band frequency spectrum, supporting both transmit and receive channels with a single unit, streamlining traditional dual-antenna configurations.

The antenna was designed to pair with an S-band TMTC telecommand and telemetry transceiver co-funded by the Aerospace Industry Support Initiative AISI and completed in February 2024. The integration of the two components created a highly competitive solution for the global New Space market. Planned over nine months, the project progressed from prototyping to qualification, producing a model rigorously tested for representative space environments and ready for spacecraft integration. The key objectives were to deliver a cost-effective, market-leading design that reduced complexity by consolidating dual antennas into a single unit, ensured compatibility with CubeSats and larger satellites, and advanced the technology readiness level TRL from TRL 4 to TRL 7.

The project also supported local transformation and knowledge transfer by partnering with Astrofica Technologies, thereby strengthening the South African aerospace ecosystem and fostering regional skills development. This aligns with AAC Clyde Space’s global mission of enabling access to high-quality, real-time space data for applications ranging from weather forecasting and environmental monitoring to precision agriculture. By enhancing the performance, reliability, and affordability of satellite communication systems, AAC Space Africa’s work contributes directly to industrial transformation and regional capability development.

More broadly, the antenna project reinforces the strategic importance of a sustainable regional space ecosystem for South and Southern Africa. Such infrastructure can deliver benefits unattainable from earthbound systems, including data for disaster response, food and water security, communication, and navigation.

As AAC Space Africa affirms, investment in space technology represents not only an innovation imperative but also a strategic pathway for sustainable development. The success of this project demonstrates how high-impact innovation can advance both national competitiveness and long-term regional growth.

What are CubeSats?

A CubeSat is a type of miniaturised satellite built using standardised cube-shaped units, each measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm. They are lightweight, cost-effective, and can be launched as single units or combined into larger configurations. CubeSats are widely used for scientific research, Earth observation, technology testing, and commercial space applications.