HIGHLY STABLE ANTENNA TECHNOLOGIES

Customer: ESA/ESTEC (2009 – 2010)
	The objective of this activity is to increase the TRL of several structures related technologies in parallel on antenna level. The fusion of different TRP and GSTP outcomes will lead to a novel reflector and antenna technology as well as to an advanced verification technology answering future market demands.

The main target is the development of a multi-beam (up to 19) dual reflector antenna structure for high frequency band such as the Ka-band or the Q/V-band.The corresponding spectra are assumed to obtain more and more importance in the future. At the same time, a small volume and a low weight shall be achieved, metallisation of the reflectors and sunshields should be avoided.The manufacturing readiness review was passed in December 2009 and the structure is currently under manufacturing.

As high performance carbon fibres are applied (for facesheets and for honeycomb core), a comprehensive material and process qualification campaign on sample level was carried out. After manufacturing, the model will undergo thermal cycling combined with high accuracy thermo-elastic distortion measurements in vacuum as well as acoustic and vibration tests (sine and random). Despite the new antenna/structural technologies also new measurement techniques are going to be applied. The quite restrictive distortion requirements in the low µm range and lightweight demands consequently need more accurate verification technologies.

The antenna structure is going to be protected by MLI on a large scale. This insulation is designed and manufactured by HPS Lda. in Portugal.

Subcontractors of this ESA activity are: HPS Portugal, IABG, INVENT and NTP.

HPS GmbH

HIGHLY STABLE ANTENNA TECHNOLOGIES