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StatusCompleted
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Status date2021-08-04
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Activity Code5A.074
SARA (Sistema de Antenas Reconfigurables Activas, Spanish for System of Reconfigurable Active Antennae) is an advanced modular X-band telecommunications payload system for governmental applications.
The activities of SARA Phase I executed can be summarized as follows:
- Preliminary design of the SARA system and flow down of SARA System Specifications to the different composing elements
- Preliminary design and Key enabling technological demonstrators that are needed for the implementation of SARA.
The main challenges are of different nature:
- Technological: GaAs vs GaN technology for the SSPA. LNA and SSPA BB. Characterization test with electronics to converge on specification; MMICs, thermal Hardware.
- Industrial: MCCM-INTERPOSER-PCB solderless assembly, compactness.
The SARA antenna allows a fully reconfigurable active antenna with high performance using the latest technologies like GaN amplifiers with Geolocation capabilities and allowing to make the most of the thermal and power resources of the satellite.
- 120 Rx and Tx radiating elements
- 240 LNA
- 240 SSPA using GaN technology
- 16 reconfigurable beams (8 in each polarisation)
- Analog BFN based on modular architecture
- Efficient power distribution and thermal design
- Fully integrated active antenna with BFN
- Highly flexible design based on building blocks
- Radiating chain
- Amplifier stages
- Multi Chip Control Module
- CDN (Combiner Divider Network)
- Thermo Mechanical sub- System
- Electrical and Control System
The activity allows risks mitigation on the development for a commercial governmental telecom project. The activities in this phase 1 are a continuation of the previous ARTES activities, among which ARTES C&G 5B.161, and can be summarized as follows:
- Preliminary design of the SARA system and flow down of SARA System Specifications to the different composing elements.
- Preliminary design and Key enabling technological demonstrators that are needed for the implementation of SARA.
Completed.
