Applications Using New Satellite Communications Constellations

This proposal outlines the development of an Active Electronically Steered Antenna (AESA) for use on airborne platforms as an integrated communications terminal. The hardware produced in this effort is intended to support the Global Network Access Terminal (GNAT) whereby the AESA terminal will support connectivity through Ka band commercial SATCOM providers such that it operates as a “modem kit� and can be employed as a physical layer device (PHY) enabling the GNAT with a single service that can be utilized as a soft flow in overall GNAT architecture as established in Phase 1 of the Topic 9 development. This development effort is a multifaceted agenda consisting of RF engineering, antenna controller development, algorithm development, mechanical and software integration along with design for thermal robustness. The main advantage of developing AESA technology for satellite communications is to provide a low physical profile antenna with sufficient gain to maintain a high throughput link that has no mechanically moving parts that for LEO/MEO applications or COTM would induce constant mechanical wear on the system. With the emerging number of new HTS LEO/MEO satellite communications, there are many applications in the commercial as well as military market for AESA enabled terminals.