| CPC H01Q 15/244 (2013.01) [H01Q 1/08 (2013.01); H01Q 1/1235 (2013.01); H01Q 1/288 (2013.01); H01Q 3/12 (2013.01); H01Q 3/46 (2013.01); H01Q 15/20 (2013.01); H01Q 19/10 (2013.01); H01Q 19/192 (2013.01); H01Q 21/0037 (2013.01); H01Q 21/061 (2013.01); H01Q 21/24 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |

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1. An antenna system for satellite applications, the antenna system comprising an antenna array and a feed structure, the antenna array and at least a part of the feed structure being configured to be mounted for deployment above a first surface of a satellite,
the antenna array being a passive antenna array and being configured to have a first antenna array state and a second antenna array state, the second antenna array state being a deployed antenna array state,
the feed structure being configured to have a first feed structure state and a second feed structure state, the first feed structure state being a stowed state and the second feed structure state being a deployed feed structure state,
wherein the feed structure comprises a deployable element, and wherein the deployable element is a planar element,
wherein the feed structure is a feed structure having no dielectric elements and being configured to provide a linearly polarized incident field for the antenna array in the deployed feed structure state, and
wherein the feed structure comprises a radiating element array, including one of an array of radiating slots and an array of radiating patches;
the antenna array comprising a plurality of array elements, and
wherein the plurality of array elements forms a polarization conversion surface configured for converting the linearly polarized incident field to a reflected/transmitted circular polarized field.
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