The fabrication and surface tolerance measurements of the JPL clear aperture microwave antenna

摘要

Present ground station microwave antennas of the Deep Space Network are of the symmetric dual reflector (cassegrainian) type. An investigation is being made of alternative high-performance offset antenna designs which have a clear aperture (no reflector or structural blockage) with shaped reflector surfaces. A 1.5-m, 32-GHz clear aperture model was built for experimental studies. The unique processes of fabrication, surface measurement, and alignment are described.