Description
To design, manufacture and test two DEMUX breadboards featuring a 50% bandwidth reconfigurability
Targeted Improvements:
Enable a ±50% bandwidth reallocation in multi-beam applications with two beams per TWTA.
Description:
In current Ka-Band multi-beam systems (e.g. Ka-Sat) a single TWTA is shared between two or more beams in order to reduce the number of high power amplifiers embarked on the satellite. A de-multiplexer (DEMUX) is employed after the TWTA to separate the signals destined for each beam. In this architecture the bandwidth and centre frequency of the channel filters are fixed, which significantly limits possibilities for flexible resource allocation at payload level.
An in-orbit reconfigurable DEMUX with tuneable channel centre frequency and bandwidth would offer the possibility to match the bandwidth allocated to each beam to the associated traffic demand, thereby making more efficient use of the available spectral resources. Moreover, significant cost savings could be achieved in the long term if the large degree of filter customisation that is currently required can be avoided through the use of reconfigurable channel filters.
In the proposed activity, novel bandwidth-reconfigurable two channel de-multiplexers for low-loss, moderate mass, medium-power applications shall be developed.
While there is a clear need for this technology for Ka-Band applications, changes in the spacecraft market also point to applications across the high frequency bands in particular at C and Ku-Band.
The first step shall be a review of current state of the art, including a detailed evaluation of filter technologies and tuning mechanisms (based on electro-mechanical and electro-magnetic techniques). In parallel, a reconfigurable waveguide junction shall be studied. In a second step, two breadboard (BB) DEMUX units shall be designed and developed to fulfil an identical set of technical requirements with two different design solutions. The next steps are the manufacturing, assembling and testing of the BB hardware. The activity shall include an assessment of the limitations of the proposed technology in terms of the achievable bandwidth adjustment capability and long term reliability.
Procurement Policy: C(1) = Activity restricted to non-prime contractors (incl. SMEs). For additional information please go to EMITS news "Industrial Policy measures for non-primes, SMEs and R&D entities in ESA programmes".
Tender Specifics