Development of Light-Weight, Low-Cost Multichannels Membrane Reformer

Not Available Satellites are linked to an earth station by transmitting and receiving a microwave beam through antennas. The current antennas of choice for earth stations are parabolic reflector antennas such as those used for tracking telemetry and control (TT&C) for the AFSCN. These antennas are required to have horizon-to-horizon, full-hemispherical coverage and often several antennas are required at each remote tracking station site. A single active hemispherical phased array antenna composed of flat panel subarrays could replace all the reflector antennas at a remote tracking station site. The objective of this SBIR effort is to develop and demonstrate the technical feasibility of a low-cost passive subarray of radiating elements that will meet the requirement s for TT&C in satellite control operations. Alpha Omega Electromagnetics, LLC (AOE) will conduct a systematic and rigorous EM-based investigation of several new radiating element candidates that promise to meet the needs of the AFSCN system. AOE will employ proprietary finite element and moment method electromagnetic simulation software to accurately predict the radiating element's performance in the array environment. The results of this investigation will yield low-cost radiating aperture technology that is suitable for implementation in a passive subarray. The technology will be demonstrated with hardware during Phase II of this effort.