Conformal array antenna for observation platforms in low Earth orbit

摘要

A conformal array antenna can provide the flexibility that platforms in low Earth orbit need to download their data to ground stations. It does this by producing multiple beams for various ground stations. Even if only one ground station is used at a time, the higher gain of this antenna, compared to a fixed-beam antenna, allows the ground-station antennas to be down-sized, or, equivalently, the data rate to be increased. Moreover, missions on which disturbances in the platform attitude are critical can take advantage of a phased array with no moving parts. Although the demonstration model was targeted at a low-Earth-orbit mission, the concept is equally applicable to future interplanetary science missions.