This document presents a design procedure for an active rectangular microstrip patch antenna operating in the X-band frequency range. It begins with the design of the passive antenna element using standard equations. Appropriate input and output matching circuits are then examined and an amplifier is designed. The passive antenna is connected to the amplifier input to form the overall active antenna structure, which is simulated using ADS software. The results show improvements in characteristics like gain and bandwidth for the active antenna compared to the passive design alone. A comparison of the key characteristics of passive versus active antenna designs is also provided.