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Fourteen computer programs have been developed for antenna feed system design and analysis. The programs cover a large spectrum of feed design problems, from primary feed pattern synthesis to the farfield pattern of the main reflector, including analyses of structural distortions.
Development and characteristics of low-noise multimode monopulse antenna feed system for use with microwave communication equipment
The development of a facsimile camera to serve as the antenna aspect system for the second generation Radio Astronomy Explorer Satellite designated RAE-B is summarized. The camera system consists of two cameras and a data encoder. The program deliverables were two flight cameras, a flight encoder and one spare flight encoder. The RAE-B satellite was originally intended for an earth orbit mission and the facsimile subsystem characteristics were specified with this in mind. Subsequently the flight mission was changed to orbit the moon; however the change occurred too late to significantly influence the facsimile system design. Therefore, this report considers only compliance of the system to earth orbit requirements.
The use of SHF-band filters in spacecraft antenna-feeder systems was investigated. These filters, depending on specific applications and requirements, may be constructed both of elements with lumped constants and of elements with distributed parameters.
During the summer of 1994, the performance of an experimental mobile satellite communication system was demonstrated to industry and government representatives by the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The system was based on the advanced communications technology satellite (ACTS) and consisted of a K-/Ka-band active monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) phased array antenna system, ACTS mobile terminal (AMT) and link evaluation terminal (LET). A LeRC research aircraft, Learjet model 25, was outfitted with the active MMIC phased array antenna system and AMT and served as the experimental 20/30 Ghz aeronautical terminal. The LET at LeRC in Cleveland, OH, was interfaced with portions of fixed-AMT equipment and together provided the gateway station functions including ACTS interface and public service telephone network (PSTN) interface. The ACTS was operated in its microwave switch matrix (MSM) mode with a spot beam for the Learjet and another spot beam dedicated to the LET. The Learjet was flown over several major cities across the US and demonstrated the feasibility of a full-duplex compressed voice links for an aeronautical terminal through the 20/30 Ghz ACTS channel. This paper presents a technical description of the system including the MMIC phased array antenna system, AMT, Learjet, LET, and ACTS. The array antenna system consists of a 30 Ghz transmit array (LeRc/Texas Instruments) and two 20 Ghz receive arrays (USAF Rome Lab., Boeing, and Martin Marietta), each one very small with sufficient performance for a satellite voice link. The AMT consists of 2.4/4.8/9.6 Kbps voice coder/decoder, modem, PSTN interface and RF/IF converters. Link analysis is presented and compared to the actual performance data collected during the demonstration flights.
Approaches to automating the radiofrequency system used in the deep space network (DSN) are discussed. The goal is to operate DSN, which communicates with U.S. space probes that travel beyond the moon, in an unattended mode in order to reduce operating costs. The philosophy of a hierachical automation plan, which emphasizes distributed control and the utilization of DSN hardware development engineers to develop automation software, is discussed, and software development as well as common software and common microcontroller hardware are considered. It is planned that a station controller will serve as the operator interface and control and coordinate the operation of three system controllers (RF system, digital system, and antenna system). These systems are described.
A Brane Craft is a membrane spacecraft with solar cells, command and control electronics, communications systems, antennas, propulsion systems, attitude and proximity sensors, and shape control actuators as thin film structures manufactured on 10 micron thick plastic sheets. This revolutionary spacecraft design can have a thickness of tens of microns with a surface area of square meters to maximize area-to-mass ratios for exceptionally low-mass spacecraft. Communications satellites, solar power satellites, solar electric propulsion stages, and solar sails can benefit from Brane Craft design. It also enables new missions that require low-mass spacecraft with exceptionally high delta-V. Active removal of orbital debris from Earth orbit is the target application for this study.
During the summer of 1994, the performance of an experimental mobile satellite communication system was demonstrated. Using the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and the ACTS Mobile Terminal (AMT), the system demonstrated an active Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) phased-array antenna system. The antenna system was installed onboard one of NASA Lewis Research Center's research aircraft, a Learjet Model 25. It proved the viability of in-flight satellite communications services via small, flush, mountable electronic phased-array antennas. The overall system setup for the ACTS Aeronautical Terminal Experiment (AERO-X) is illustrated. The Link Evaluation Terminal (LET) at Lewis in Cleveland, Ohio, interfaced with fixed-AMT equipment, providing a seamless connection with the Public Service Telephone Network. As the Learjet was flown over several major cities across the U.S., this demonstration system allowed passengers onboard to make telephone calls as if they were using a cellular system. ACTS was operated in its microwave switch matrix mode with a spot beam for the Learjet and another spot beam dedicated to the LET.
Multipath interference effects on Apollo S band and lunar module steerable antenna tracking system
System partly restores desired far-field radiation pattern. Adaptive array feed for paraboloidal-reflector antenna helps compensate for effects of slow changes in shape of reflecting surface. Counteracts distortion by illuminating reflector with wave fronts that have "opposite" distortion.
This paper describes the digital control and data processing portions of the antenna pointing system used to track the Telstar satellite. The description is functional in nature, giving the form of the inputs, the functions performed, and the outputs produced. A general description of the digital equipment is followed by a discussion of the functions performed by the subsystems, the operational modes provided, the equipment features, and the operating experience.
In an antenna array system such as that used in the Deep Space Network (DSN) for satellite communication, it is often necessary to account for the effects due to the atmosphere. Typically, the atmosphere induces amplitude and phase fluctuations on the transmitted downlink signal that invalidate the assumed stationarity of the signal model. The degree to which these perturbations affect the stationarity of the model depends both on parameters of the atmosphere, including wind speed and turbulence strength, and on parameters of the communication system, such as the sampling rate used. In this article, we focus on modeling the atmospheric phase fluctuations in a digital antenna array communications system. Based on a continuous-time statistical model for the atmospheric phase effects, we show how to obtain a related discrete-time model based on sampling the continuous-time process. The effects of the nonstationarity of the resulting signal model are investigated using the sample matrix inversion (SMI) algorithm for minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) equalization of the received signal
This work is the first step toward increasing the bandwidth of the DSS-13 antenna position loop controller. A wider bandwidth of the controller allows for faster tracking rates and better pointing performance under windy conditions. To achieve this goal, the antenna control system model has to be improved, such that it will accurately reflect the dynamic properties of the antenna. The existing analytical model, due to its many uncertainties, could not be used in the design of the controller. However, by using experimental data, the analytical model is modified and improved, and a new model is obtained through system identification techniques.
Electronic beam steering capability of phased array antenna systems offer significant advantages when used in real aperture imaging radiometers. The sensitivity of such systems is limited by the ability to accurately calibrate variations in the antenna circuit characteristics. Passive antenna systems, which require mechanical rotation to scan the beam, have stable characteristics and the noise figure of the antenna can be characterized with knowledge of its physical temperature [1],[2]. Phased array antenna systems provide the ability to electronically steer the beam in any desired direction. Such antennas make use of active components (amplifiers, phase shifters) to provide electronic scanning capability while maintaining a low antenna noise figure. The gain fluctuations in the active components can be significant, resulting in substantial calibration difficulties [3]. In this paper, we introduce two novel calibration techniques that provide an end-to-end calibration of a real-aperture, phased array radiometer system. Empirical data will be shown to illustrate the performance of both methods.
In response to the current government budgetary environment that requires the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to do more with less, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility has developed and implemented a class of ground stations known as a Low Earth Orbiter-Terminal (LEO-T). This development thus provides a low-cost autonomous ground tracking service for NASA's customers. More importantly, this accomplishment provides a commercial source to spacecraft customers around the world to purchase directly from the company awarded the NASA contract to build these systems. A few years ago, NASA was driven to provide more ground station capacity for spacecraft telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) services with a decreasing budget. NASA also made a decision to develop many smaller, cheaper satellites rather than a few large spacecraft as done in the past. In addition, university class missions were being driven to provide their own TT&C services due to the increasing load on the NASA ground-tracking network. NASA's solution for this ever increasing load was to use the existing large aperture systems to support those missions requiring that level of performance and to support the remainder of the missions with the autonomous LEO-T systems. The LEO-T antenna system is a smaller, cheaper, and fully autonomous unstaffed system that can operate without the existing NASA support infrastructure. The LEO-T provides a low-cost, reliable space communications service to the expanding number of low-earth orbiting missions around the world. The system is also fostering developments that improve cost-effectiveness of autonomous-class capabilities for NASA and commercial space use. NASA has installed three LEO-T systems. One station is at the University of Puerto Rico, the second system is installed at the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska, and the third system is installed at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. This paper will describe the current NASA implementation of the LEO-T network of antenna systems, the customers now being supported, and the services NASA can now offer with this new breed of autonomous ground stations. In addition, the paper will define the technical capabilities of the system and the cost effectiveness of using the systems including the capital costs of installation.
JPL has had a large amount of experience with spaceborne microwave/millimeter wave radiometers for remote sensing. All of the instruments use filled aperture antenna systems from 5 cm diameter for the microwave Sounder Units (MSU), 16 m for the microwave limb sounder (MLS) to 20 m for the large deployable reflector (LDR). The advantages of filled aperture antenna systems are presented. The requirements of the 10 m Geoplat antenna system, 10 m multified antenna, and the MLS are briefly discussed.
The program to design an S-band omnidirectional antenna system for the SERT-C spacecraft is discussed. The program involved the tasks of antenna analyses by computer techniques, scale model radiation pattern measurements of a number of antenna systems, full-scale RF measurements, and the recommended design, including detailed drawings. A number of antenna elements were considered: the cavity-backed spiral, quadrifilar helix, and crossed-dipoles were chosen for in-depth studies. The final design consisted of a two-element array of cavity-backed spirals mounted on opposite sides of spacecraft and fed in-phase through a hybrid junction. This antenna system meets the coverage requirement of having a gain of at least minus 10 dBi over 50 percent of a 4 pi steradian sphere with the solar panels in operation. This coverage level is increased if the ground station has the capability to change polarization.
Examples of large space systems currently being considered by NASA include a large communications antenna system (the Land Mobile Satellite System), a precision antenna system (the Large Deployable Reflector System), and a preliminary concept for NASA's space station. Each system has low natural vibration frequencies, stringent pointing requirements, and, for the antennas, demanding surface accuracy requirements. A review is provided of the progress being made in structural ground tests with respect to surface accuracy, deployment, and erection of large structures. Attention is given to the dynamic loads on large space structures, on-orbit testing, space vibration control devices, and the characteristics of distributed control.