Compliant Deployable Antennae for Hypersonic Vehicles

The complex and harsh high-speed environment and associated high aerothermal and aerodynamic loads poses significant challenges to materials, structures and on-board sensors, such as antennae needed for tracking, telemetry, alternative navigation and communications. High surface temperatures require advanced materials, such as high-temperature tolerant superalloys, or traditional materials with environmental or thermal barrier coatings. In addition, plasma formed around the vehicle can interfere in certain frequency bands. Adding electronic subsystems to launcher-constraint reentry vehicles will cause challenges due to the low size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements for these components. For this program, the proposing team will develop and deliver compliant deployable antennae, that can operate in and are able to survive the hypersonic environment. In doing so, the team will leverage its long-history and significant experiences in modeling and simulation of the hypersonic environment, developing flight-proven, cutting-edge antenna hardware, and design of minimum SWaP compliant, developable or origami-type deployment mechanisms. Initially, and in Phase I, the concept of operations will be rendered. All potential antenna operational scenarios will be evaluated, including antenna operation for a small period of time, for periodic access, or after glide body separation. After all options are considered, the proposing team will start down-selecting best solutions in consultation with the Navy customer, in order to arrive at preliminary concept design(s) in Phase I base and refined concept design(s) in Phase I option, with the goal to manufacture prototypes in Phase II.