The Philippine Space Agency or PhilSA Advanced Degrees for Accelerating Space R&D and Applications Scholarships or AD ASTRA scholar Engr. Raynell A. Inojosa was awarded with the 1st Best Paper and Best Presenter for the Emerging Technologies Track during the Graduate Research Forum for Technology, Engineering, and Computing (GRaF-TEC '22) that was held via Zoom last month.
GRaF-TEC '22 is organized by the Batangas State University (BatStateU) Alangilan Research Office, in partnership with the Center for Innovation in Engineering Education (CIEE), to assist students and faculty in the planning and implementation of their research undertakings and to provide guidance on the skills needed to develop their work.
Engr. Inojosa’s paper, titled: “Exploiting Fractal Geometry in the Design of a UHF Patch Antenna for LEO Nanosatellite Applications,” is an initial attempt to come up with an ultra-high frequency (UHF) patch antenna design using fractal geometry that can be mounted into a standard 1U (10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm) cube satellite (CubeSat). Experimental measurements of his research were performed in an anechoic chamber located at the Center for Nanosatellite Testing (CeNT) of Kyushu Institute of Technology (KyuTech) in Japan.
One of the key components to an effective satellite system is its antenna performance, which affects the communication link. For small satellites such as CubeSats, antennas are only allocated a small space. Thus, low-profile antennas are preferred to potentially reduce the volume of the satellite or to allow space for other payloads.
Results of Engr. Inojosa’s research show that the proposed fractal antenna offers better performance against a conventional UHF antenna and is expected to be deployable in low-earth orbit (LEO) CubeSat missions that gather ground data for disaster analysis, vegetation detection, environmental monitoring, and other remote sensing applications.
Engr. Inojosa is among the first batch of PhilSA AD ASTRA Scholars. His doctoral research, “Electrodynamic Analysis of a Geometry-Oriented Antenna for Low-Earth Orbit CubeSat,” had also been selected as one of the outstanding presentations during the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Transdisciplinary-Oriented Workshop for Emerging Researchers (IEEE TOWERs) conference held on 26 November 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.
He is currently taking up his Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering at the Batangas State University under the supervision of Dr. Celso B. Co., and recently joined PhilSA as a Senior Science Research Specialist for the Spacecraft Payload and Communications Systems Development Division (SPCSDD).
The journey of Engr. Inojosa under the AD ASTRA started with his application and acceptance into the Mentorship Program of the Advanced Satellite Development and Know-How Transfer for the Philippines Project (ASP) under the STAMINA4Space Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines-Diliman. This program was implemented in coordination with PhilSA, that was launched in October 2021. The program has the following components: matching mentees (those aspiring to pursue advanced degrees in space science, engineering, communications, space technology applications, and other related fields) with experienced mentors who belong to the space development sector. The program also allowed for the establishment of a platform where mentors are be able to support and provide direction for the mentees to attain success in the space industry.
To join, please use the hashtag #JoinTheMission to kick off your #KwentongPhilSAScholar. For additional media inquiries, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
