Gadget-in-Extremis: Mesh antenna reflector for shaped radio beams - Electronics Weekly

It’s part of the AMPER (Advanced techniques for mesh reflector with improved radiation pattern performance) project being carried out by the German company Large Space Structures GmbH, with TICRA in Denmark as subcontractor.

Pictured is the prototype 2.6-m diameter metal-mesh antenna reflector.

The prototype is designed to prove the concept at C-band frequency, and the RF measurements have shown good correlation with radio-frequency and mechanical predictions, so far.

“This is really a first for Europe,” says ESA antenna engineer Jean-Christophe Angevain. “China and the US have also been working hard on similar shaped mesh reflector technology. It is needed so that sufficiently large antennas can be deployed in orbit, which would otherwise be too bulky to fit inside a launcher fairing, while also meeting required performance levels.”

ESA’s AMPER (Advanced techniques for mesh reflector with improved radiation pattern performance) project performed with Large Space Structures GmbH in Germany as prime and TICRA in Denmark as subcontractor.

Antenna reflectors for satellites are often surprisingly ‘lumpy’ looking. Their basic paraboloid convex shape is distorted with additional peaks and valleys. These serve to contour the resulting radio frequency beam, typically to boost signal gain over target countries and minimise it beyond their borders.

“This tailored surface shaping is traditionally done with traditional metal or carbon fibre reinforced plastic composite reflectors,” adds Jean-Christophe.

“The challenge was how to reproduce such shaping using a mesh reflector design. The obvious solution would have been a conventional tension truss double layer solution, with the mesh held together tautly on an alternating ‘push and ‘pull’ basis. A smart alternative solution has been proposed and followed by the team.”

What comes next? The AMPER team aim to produce a deployable version, suitable for Earth observation as well as telecommunications uses.