Description
The objective of this activity is to develop and test a steerable, small and reliable user terminal antenna for fixed andmobile satcom applications allowing for seamless beam switching (<100 ms) in a NGSO multi-beam satellite network. The antenna shallbe based on a hybrid i.e. mechanical and electrical/switching mechanism reducing complexity and size.
Targeted Improvements: Complexity reduction by a factor of 10 when compared to fully electronic two-dimensional steering solutions.
Description:
Current NGSO ground user terminals for both fixed and mobile applications rely on a two-dimensional beam steering or beam forming mechanism. This mechanism is either fully mechanical in the case of a more traditional parabolic antenna, fully electric in the case of a phased array antenna or a combination of mechanical and electric steering in case of a hybrid antenna. The degree of technological maturity varies; however, all current solutions are too bulky, too costly and/or too unreliable, and therefore prohibitive for some applications, in particular in the consumer area, and for cost sensitive coms-on-the-move applications. The industry is therefore looking for small, low-cost and reliable solutions of user ground terminals that can access NGSO multi-beam satellite constellations and that allow for a seamless beam switching. A possibility is to align the one-dimensional beamforming plane with a given orbital plane of a NGSO satellite system. This would require one-dimensional beam formers with wide angular scanning range, such as Rotman lenses or leakywave antennas. Other one-dimensional beamformers, like Luneberg lenses, could also be considered due to the very wide scanning range.
This activity shall investigate one-dimensional beam forming and beam steering technologies with a wide scanning range of minimum90 degrees that enable a make-before-break handover in a dual or multiple beam satellite NGSO system. The beam switching time should be <100 ms. Hybrid steering approaches, combining mechanical steering, electronic steering and beam switching should be traded-offagainst complexity, efficiency, physical dimensions, reliability and costs. Technologies allowing for a graceful signal deterioration shall also be explored. A representative prototype of the most promising solution shall be developed and tested.
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Tender Specifics