The twin faces of Janus Aero and Janus Maritime


Janus Aero. Photo courtesy of TeS19 May 2015 – In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, of doorways and gates. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the past but also to the future. Fittingly, Janus is also the name of a new mobile satellite antenna technology for mobile applications developed by Teleinformatica e Sistemi (TeS), a subsidiary of leading Italian space technology company Space Engineering. Like the Roman god, the Janus technology has two faces; it is able to switch between different frequency bands (Ku/Ka or X/Ka) without any manual intervention; the switch is performed by mirror rotation.

An aeronautical variant, Janus Aero, has compact size (29cm height) and low weight (about 30Kg) and offers high throughput both in reception and transmission, making Janus Aero suitable for maritime patrol aircraft as well as RPAs and UAVs. It can be supplied in dual-band Ku-Ka or single band (Ku or Ka) models.

The first commercial order for a Janus-based antenna was placed by the Italian Navy for equipping several patrol aircraft and a similar order has been received from the United Arab Emirates.

The Janus product line continues to evolve. Thanks to the independence of the RF chains from the reflector optics, the Janus system can easily be customized for different applications or to meet specific requirements. A new, more compact model, the Janus Aero XS (eXtra Small), is being developed for use on helicopters and small UAVs, while the Janus Aero Gemini is TeS’s forthcoming ultra low profile antenna aimed at the commercial aviation market. They should both be made available in 2016.

The Janus technology is also being further developed via an ongoing ARTES project (ARTES 5.2) devoted to the enhancement of the dual band antenna system for maritime applications.

“Thanks to the support of ESA, the Janus system now serves as the foundation for TeS's airborne, land and maritime antenna products,” said Sabino Titomanlio, Head of Marketing and Sales, Space Engineering Group. “The first commercial orders were placed towards the end of the first phase of our ESA supported activities, he added. “This meant that our industrial activities clearly benefited from, as well as provided valuable inputs for our ESA-supported activities.”

“With the help of the ARTES programme, TeS has gained a critical foothold in the highly competitive market for compact high frequency, high throughput mobile antennas,” said David Seguin, ESA Telecommunications Engineer.

 For more information, contact Sabino Titomanlio (space.it)

 

 

Published 19 May 2015
Last updated at 18 June 2015 - 15:28