TICRA wins ESA contract to develop a frequency selective surface for telecom applications
TICRA has been selected by ESA to develop a frequency selective surface (FSS) to be used in antenna systems for multiple spot beam applications.
There is a general trend towards the use of multiple spot beam coverages to increase the satellite system capacity. Currently, state-of-the-art multiple spot beam payloads employ three or four reflectors to produce the necessary number of beams. This occupies significant space on the spacecraft and solutions to reduce the number of antennas onboard the spacecraft is of great interest.
By using an FSS as a subreflector in a dual-reflector antenna system, it is possible to cover a full transmit/receive multiple beam coverage with only one main reflector. The objective of this project is to develop such an FSS subreflector.
TICRA will be responsible for all radio frequency related tasks such as the design and analysis of the reflector system, including the FSS subreflector.
The project is under the ARTES Advanced Technology programme and is expected to be completed in 2020. For more information about the project, please contact our Product Lead for Periodic Structures Min Zhou via email mz@ticra.com.
About ARTES Advanced Technology programme
ARTES Advanced Technology (ARTES AT) is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) main programme for preparatory development of satellite communications, and it covers long-term R&D activities. The programme is concerned with the early stages of development of systems and exploitation of new and promising technologies for satellite communications.
Through ARTES AT, ESA supports the exploitation of new and promising technologies into equipment in order for the industry to be able to offer state-of-the-art equipment and systems at competitive prices in the long-term. ARTES AT encompasses activities related to the development of subsystems and equipment for satellite communications.