Can you imagine walking into an airplane with your umbrella open? Funny. Yet, almost all spacecraft with a microwave reflector, e.g., WindSat, AMSR2, GMI, are launched with a solid parabolic reflector.
A prototype of the only offset parabolic reflector antenna capable to of working up to 100 GHz is shown above. The antenna geometric surface approximation and its assembly accuracy allows for operation up to 100 GHz, providing at least λ/30 surface accuracy.
The reflective surface itself has a transmittance of about 1% (-40 dB) up to 220 GHz. Thus, a very high quality reflector was achieved.
Our unique cable and pulley free rim deployment mechanism is simple, improves stowage ratio, efficiency of deployment, and significantly reduces risk of jamming during the deployment. The deployment mechanism is passive, driven by springs.
We offer a complete design of your antenna system, including primary horn(s), to your requirements.
| Aperture (m) | Rim diameter | Rim struts # | Stowed diameter (m) | Stowed & deployed height (m) | S/D ratio by volume | Mass (g) |
| 3 | 3.6 | 24 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1:208 | 9,500 |
| 2.3 | 2.6 | 18 | 0.154 | 0.51 | 1:281 | 4,500 |
| 1.5 | 1.8 | 18 | 0.154 | 0.36 | 1:95 | 2,500 |
| 0.8 | 0.85 | 18 | 0.154 | 0.20 | 1:27 | 1,600 |
| 0.5 | 0.6 | 18 | 0.154 | 0.16 | 1:10 | 460 |