Studies of thermal deformation and shape control of a space planar phased array antenna

As the “right-hand man” to space communications, navigation, environmental monitoring, and other satellite systems, the space active phased array antenna is capable of scanning and covering long distances and large scale ranges through its complex deployment mechanism, large physical aperture, and lightweight structural design. In comparison with mechanical scanning antennas, the space active phased array antennas can realize flexible beam scanning through the active phased array principle, while simultaneously achieving a high gain, low sidelobe, high resolution, and high reliability. Improving the comprehensive performance of the satellite is crucial with the rapid development requirement and large application field. In this article, the development history of the space active phased array antennas is summarized, and these antennas are characterized by the following structural features: large aperture, deployment mechanism, and lightweight configuration. The state of the art of space deployable active phased array antennas is also presented. Furthermore, seven crucial design technologies of antenna essential components are discussed, and the development trends of structural technologies of the space deployable active phased array antenna are demonstrated.

Space Phased Array Antenna Developments: A Perspective on Structural Design

With the advances in deployable membrane technologies, the possibility of developing large, lightweight reflectors has greatly improved. However, to achieve the required accuracy, precision surface control is needed. The goal of this research was to investigate the feasibility of applying distributed polyvinylidene fluoride actuators and domain control on a flexible reflector and address some of the technical challenges. An analytical model of the integrated reflector–actuator system was developed. A Kapton reflector with polyvinylidene fluoride actuators was experimentally tested and compared with the model. A new least-squares control law is designed to ensure optimal solutions are derived in a rigorous manner when constraints are applied. The model is exercised using individually controlled polyvinylidene fluoride actuators on a large-scale reflector under thermal load. Although the results are promising with the large number of actuators applied, the major challenge is that it is unrealistic to have t...

Advances of Surface Control Methodologies for Flexible Space Reflectors

Due to their ultra lightweight and high packaging efficiency, membrane reflectors are getting more and more attention for mission architectures that need extremely large in-space deployable antennas. However, maintaining the surface shape of a membrane reflector to the instrument precision requirements is a very challenging problem. This experimental study investigated using PVDF membrane piezoelectric material as actuators to control the surface figures of membrane reflectors. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by several sets of test results.

/pdf/experimental-study-of-a-membrane-antenna-surface-adaptive-1qn0skvhj3.pdf

Experimental Study of a Membrane Antenna Surface Adaptive Control System

With the rapid advances in deployable membrane and mesh antenna technologies, the feasibility of developing large, lightweight reflectors has greatly improved. In order to achieve the required surface accuracy, precision surface control is needed on these lightweight reflectors. For this study, an analytical model is shown which combines a flexible Kapton reflector with Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) actuators for surface control. Surface errors are introduced that are similar to real world scenarios, and a least squares control algorithm is developed for surface control. Experimental results on a 2.4 meter reflector show that while the analytical reflector model is generally correct, due to idiosyncrasies in the reflector it cannot be used for online control. A new method called the En Mass Elimination algorithm is used to determine the optimal grouping of actuators when the number of actuators in the system exceeds the number of power supplies available.

Actuator grouping optimization on flexible space reflectors

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are collaborating in the technology development for a space based radar (SBR) system that would feature a large aperture lightweight antenna for a joint mission later in this decade. This antenna system is a 50 m/spl times/2 m electronically steerable phased array in L-band (1260 MHz center frequency, 80 MHz bandwidth) and contains 384/spl times/12 transmit/receive modules. The radar is designed to operate in a variety of modes including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and moving target indication (MTI). Stringent requirements are placed on phase center knowledge and antenna sidelobe levels during a data take, in the presence of temperature changes due to the orbital thermal environment, self heating, spacecraft platform vibrations, and mechanical deformation. We present an auto-calibration and metrology system concept to correct for phase errors and mechanical deformation during the mission.

Antenna auto-calibration and metrology approach for the AFRL/JPL space based radar

The current geostationary operational environmental satellites (GOES) are equipped to make cloud top measurements only. In contrast, a millimeter-wave radar allows 3D measurements of precipitation associated with hurricanes and other convective systems. It also provide important inputs for numerical weather prediction models for improving the accuracy of weather nowcasting and forecasting. Recently, a novel instrument concept and the associated critical technologies are being developed for a 35 GHz Doppler radar for detailed monitoring of hurricanes and severe storms from a geostationary orbit. This instrument is designed to be capable of producing rainfall rate at 13-km horizontal resolution and 300-m vertical resolution, and the line-of-sight Doppler velocity at 0.3 m/s precision, of the 3D hurricane structure once per hour throughout its life cycle.

Advanced geostationary radar for hurricane monitoring and studies

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Antenna auto-calibration and metrology approach for the AFRL/JPL space based radar

Advanced geostationary radar for hurricane monitoring and studies