Proliferated Communications Systems Applied to Space Sensing

Opterus’ SWATH commercial communications antenna offers a 10x increase in data rates, 10x reduction in cost and 10x reduction in lead time. Even in small constellations, this translates into $100M cost savings and system deployments years earlier. Opterus proposes to tailor SWATH for Space Sensing applications for the same Space Force benefits. SWATH is an ideal antenna for radar applications including hypersonic missile tracking radar, GMTI, and SAR. It also has applications in space domain awareness radar systems and earth weather active and passive radiometer systems. In addition to its extremely compact packaging, the innovation of SWATH (Spiral Wrap Antenna Technology) is its rapid, low cost, net shape molded manufacturing process. Unlike competing mesh antennas that suffer low performance at X-band and higher frequencies, SWATH’s molded shape operates at Q and V bands and well into the W band. As a molded process, SWATH can be fabricated in days, not months and relative to mesh systems, assembly is automated with touch labor nearly eliminated. SWATH units cost on the order of $1M while mesh systems cost multiple $10Ms.