INTEGRATED EVA ANTENNA MODULE FOR SPACE STATION MULTIPLE ACCESS COMMUNICATION

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED ANTENNA MODULE APPLICABLE FOR USE ON AN EVA MULTIPLE ACCESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IS INTENDED. THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM LIES IN THE ABILITY TO MERGE THE THREE KEY FUNCTIONS OF CIRCUITRY, FEED NETWORK AND ANTENNA ELEMENT INTO A COMMON DESIGN CAPABLE OF BEING MOUNTED ON THE EVA BACKPACK AS A MODULE PLUG-IN COMPONENT. THE MODULE UTILIZES AN ANTIPODAL FINLINE AND BALUN TO FEED A BALANCED ANTENNA ELEMENT AND STILL ALLOW THE ACTIVE CIRCUITS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN MMIC TECHNOLOGY. THE MANUFACTURE OF THIS MINIATURE T/R MODULE WILL INCORPORATE THE USE OF NEW HIGH DIELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH IMPROVED ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL STABILITY OVER TEMPERATURE EXTREMES. THE USE OF HIGH FREQUENCY PLUG-IN CONNECTORS WILL ALSO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE REALIZATION OF THE MODULE.