Tesat-Spacecom has extensive experience in the design, manufacturing and testing of passive Microwave Products for satellite payloads. Their product portfolio includes components such as switches, filters, circulators, couplers, OMUXs / IMUXs and subsystems, the majority of which are in a frequency range from 7 GHz up to 30 GHz.
The current project, supported by ESA’s ARTES C&G product phase, has enabled them to extend the frequency range of their portfolio to lower C-band frequencies that are still extensively used on satellites serving the high rain-fall zones of the planet; and they believe this will enable them to capture new markets.Tesat now offers the full product range of C-Band equipment to the world market covering Filters, ONETs, INETs, Components and Switches for all bandwidth and power classes.
Christoph Ernst, ESA Space Segment Engineer, adds: “This development was also a significant milestone in the industrialisation of new testing techniques. Significant work was carried out to develop the high power test setup, including the successful introduction of a novel temperature measurement technique, previously supported by ESA. For the first time thermal design can be validated during operation.” The first customers for flight hardware were won amid the qualification campaign. Since then, customers have ordered Tesat C-Band equipment for three major flight programmes for which 500+ filters, components and switches were manufactured tested and delivered. The new C-Band product range now consists of over 20 different elements.
Siegbert Martin, TESAT CTO said: “A key point is that we designed all C-Band units in one project. This has enabled Tesat to offer complete assemblies to meet market expectations. Another benefit is that all components are optimally aligned in their performance along the signal path. The support of ESA was a significant contribution for this successful engineering.”
