Commercial-Scale Arrays for Lunar Exploration: Communications and Sensing System

In order to provide high performance communication links for lunar and deep space missions, while dramatically improving cost and reducing SWaP, new approaches are required. The key enablers to deliver this step change, mass manufacturability and software-defined design, serve as cornerstones to Cesiumrsquo;s modular design ecosystem. Leveraging Cesiumrsquo;s existing phased array communication hardware and development roadmap, this submission proposes a feasibility study to define the required software development and hardware adaptation to enable dual function active phased array communication and radar sensing system from the same payload. Such a system will bring all the advantages of Cesiumrsquo;s modular scalable approach, adding dual use functionality within a very low SWaP, low cost solution. By combining communications and radar within one payload, the system provides two functionalities from one-equipment set of size weight and power. Moreover, the system can be scaled to suit a very wide range of mission scenarios based on Cesiumrsquo;s modular building blocks.