Our team developed a complete spacecraft design, with responsibility split across multiple subsystems. I worked on the communications side, focusing on establishing reliable links between the satellite and ground stations within the constraints of a CubeSat platform. My contributions centered on X-band and S-band antenna design. I derived initial designs analytically, refined them using HFSS simulations, and validated performance through anechoic chamber testing. A consistent part of the process was reconciling simulated results with measured behavior and adjusting designs accordingly. Beyond the antennas themselves, the communications system required integration with onboard hardware and software, including protocol considerations and system-level tradeoffs involving power, space, and RF performance. This meant working closely with other subteams to ensure the system functioned as part of the larger spacecraft, not just in isolation. We ultimately presented our spacecraft and mission design to NASA judges, placing in the top five teams in the competition and receiving a $30,000 grant. Competing alongside teams like MIT and Cornell set a high bar, and the process of getting a multidisciplinary system to that level of completeness was a defining part of the experience.