Description
The objective of this activity is to develop, manufacture and test a prototype of a full duplex Ku- and/or Ka-band steerable antenna for battery powered (50Wh over life time) on-ground telemetry and tracking devices. Medium gain of 10 to 15dBi and a diameter below 10cm is targeted for this steerable antenna.
Targeted Improvements:- Enabling full duplex operation for battery powered steerable antenna;- Low complexity by reduction of piece parts (factor 2) in comparison to electronically steered antenna.
Description:M2M/IoT terminals connecting through broadband non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) constellations attract attention for an increasing number of applications with global coverage, e.g. telemetry and tracking devices for land or maritime transport, alarm devices, geo-positioning and asset tracking. For such terminals, there is a need for cost-effective medium gain transmit/receive steerable antenna solution with slow-tracking requirements, where size and power consumption are key driving requirements.
On-going developmentsfor broadband user terminals (e.g. aeronautical and maritime applications for both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit systems) providea wide range of applicable technological solutions. The smaller antenna size combined with slower tracking requirements is expectedto enable significant cost reduction, and solutions based on active phased arrays may be commercially viable. Mechanical steering andhybrid solutions could also prove to be competitive solutions thanks to the lower gain requirement.
This activity shallinvestigate relevant full-duplex antenna solutions focusing on antenna and RF parts for both transmit and receive subsystems. A breadboard demonstrator shall be designed, manufactured and tested. A clear route-to-market, and further steps towards possible spin-off for Geostationary Earth Orbit Satcom applications, requiring larger apertures associated to higher antenna gain shall be presented.
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 RD entities in ESA programmes".
Tender Specifics