MATERIALS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE ANTENNA APPLICATIONS

THERE IS A RECOGNIZED NEED FOR IMPROVED ANTENNAS FOR USE ON HYPERSONIC VEHICLES SUCH AS THE X-30. THIS PROPOSAL HAS AS ITS MAIN OBJECTIVE THE IDENTIFICATION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF MATERIALS FOR THE DESIGN OF IMPROVED ANTENNAS FOR OPERATION IN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENT OF HYPERSONIC VEHICLES. THE WORK PLAN INCLUDES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BASELINE ANTENNA ELEMENT TO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE. POTENTIAL CANDIDATE MATERIALS WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND CANDIDATES SELECTED. SELECTED MATERIALS MAY REPRESENT NEW DE VELOPMENTS SUCH COMPOSITES OF ALUMINA AND TITANIA FIBER AND COMPOSITES OF RETICULATED FOAM CERAMICS. TEST SAMPLES WILL BE PREPARED, TEST FIXTURES FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC TESTING WILL BE BUILT AND SELECTED SAMPLES MEASURED FOR APPROPRIATE PARAMETERS. A TEST ANTENNA USING MATERIAL PROVING TO MEET THE REQUIRED CRITERIA WILL BE DESIGNED.