From Hilary courtesy of MT editor Rachel Baughn.
Northrop Grumman Integrates Phased Array Antennas On Advanced EHF Flight Payload
Northrop Grumman Integrates Phased Array Antennas On Advanced EHF Flight Payload
The uplink and downlink phased array antennas developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation for its first advanced extremely high frequency (EHF) military satellite communications payload have been integrated onto the first flight structure, and their performance has been verified alongside other essential payload components. Delivery of the payload to Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the Advanced EHF program, remains on track.
Using phased array antennas, advanced microelectronics, extremely high data rate (XDR) waveforms and efficient protocols, Advanced EHF will deliver an increase in capacity and connectivity over the legacy Milstar system.
"The performance verification of our phased array antennas on the flight structure is a key achievement in the integration and test of the first Advanced EHF flight payload," said Gabe Watson, vice president of the Advanced EHF payload program for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "Successful development and production of the AEHF phased array antennas are essential to our ability to deliver higher capacity, highly secure communications to the U.S. military."
The phased array antennas Northrop Grumman has developed for Advanced EHF are directly applicable to the next-generation transformational satellite communications system (TSAT), which will ultimately replace the Milstar and Advanced EHF programs. The company is teamed with Lockheed Martin in the competition to build TSAT, and this accomplishment also represents a reduction in risk and cost to the TSAT program, Watson noted.
More than 40 separate tests were run on the Advanced EHF payload's three phased array antennas, consisting of one uplink antenna and two downlink antennas, as they were integrated successfully into the payload. These were part of the 231 tests of the Advanced EHF Flight 1 payload test suite.
The antennas also completed an additional series of tests which verify the operation of each individual antenna element. The phased array antennas will be the first of their kind to operate at 20 GHz and 40 GHz in space.
Test results verified that the performance of all three antennas exceed gain and coverage requirements and that they successfully interfaced with all applicable components in the payload, including critical digital processing and the RF subsystems.
"The performance verification of our phased array antennas on the flight structure is a key achievement in the integration and test of the first Advanced EHF flight payload," said Gabe Watson, vice president of the Advanced EHF payload program for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "Successful development and production of the AEHF phased array antennas are essential to our ability to deliver higher capacity, highly secure communications to the U.S. military."
The phased array antennas Northrop Grumman has developed for Advanced EHF are directly applicable to the next-generation transformational satellite communications system (TSAT), which will ultimately replace the Milstar and Advanced EHF programs. The company is teamed with Lockheed Martin in the competition to build TSAT, and this accomplishment also represents a reduction in risk and cost to the TSAT program, Watson noted.
More than 40 separate tests were run on the Advanced EHF payload's three phased array antennas, consisting of one uplink antenna and two downlink antennas, as they were integrated successfully into the payload. These were part of the 231 tests of the Advanced EHF Flight 1 payload test suite.
The antennas also completed an additional series of tests which verify the operation of each individual antenna element. The phased array antennas will be the first of their kind to operate at 20 GHz and 40 GHz in space.
Test results verified that the performance of all three antennas exceed gain and coverage requirements and that they successfully interfaced with all applicable components in the payload, including critical digital processing and the RF subsystems.