Multi-Band Antenna For L, S, and X-Band Data

SPAWAR desires a cost-effective, lightweight, multi-band antenna system that can simultaneously receive weather data from as many as three different satellites transmitting in the L, S, and X-bands. U.S. Navy ships must be capable of receiving NPOESS data plus weather data from several heritage U.S. and foreign satellite systems, so future military weather stations must have tri-band L/S/X receive capability. Existing shipboard antenna systems receive only L/S-band downlinks and no "real estate" is readily available for a separate, new X-band antenna. Therefore, the need arises for a tri-band antenna system capable of operating within the same "footprint" as the heritage one-radome antenna systems. The Team of Syntonics LLC and the ElectroScience Laboratory (ESL) of The Ohio State University has studied and proven the feasibility of a practical tri-band antenna system capable of separately pointing L, S and X-band receive antennas. In Phase II, the Team will design, build and test a prototype tri-band antenna system that can simultaneously receive weather and related data from satellites transmitting in the L, S, and X bands. The prototype antenna system will be designed to enable performance testing of its FSS antennas and transportation in a van or truck.