The main objective is to develop a multi-beam antenna, capable of handling Ka-band signals. The antenna shall enable establishing multiple links with different LEO satellites. The antenna comprises two separate phased array antennas, one for Tx and another for Rx. Hybrid beamforming is considered, combining discrete RF beamforming, photonic beamforming, and digital true-time delay beamforming.
- To develop a beamformer suitable for Ka-band.
- To optimize the complete RF chain in terms of performance and power consumption.
- To develop a photonic integrated circuit for flexible and power efficient photonic beamforming.
With our hybrid approach, we will tackle the typical energy consumption and heat generation from digital beamforming antennas, allowing us to achieve higher data rates, multi-beam, multi-orbit. The modular and scalable approach allow us to customize the product for different market needs.
In this project we will achieve a TRL 4 critical breadboard. The technology is based on electronically steerable multibeam with hybrid beamforming with separate Rx and Tx array elements (Rx from 17.7 to 20.2 GHz and Tx from 27.5 to 30 GHz). The antenna will be able to independently switch each transmit and receive beam between RHCP and LHCP polarization. The antenna will be scalable to provide adequate G/T and EIRP and presents an instantaneous Rx bandwidth up to 500 MHz. It can provide from a single beam up to 8 beams.
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