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Membrane Shell Reflector Segment Antenna

Membrane Shell Reflector Segment Antenna

Authors :
Fang, Houfei
Im, Eastwood
Lin, John
Moore, James
Source :
NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012.
Publication Year :
2012
Publisher :
United States: NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), 2012.

Abstract

The mesh reflector is the only type of large, in-space deployable antenna that has successfully flown in space. However, state-of-the-art large deployable mesh antenna systems are RF-frequency-limited by both global shape accuracy and local surface quality. The limitations of mesh reflectors stem from two factors. First, at higher frequencies, the porosity and surface roughness of the mesh results in loss and scattering of the signal. Second, the mesh material does not have any bending stiffness and thus cannot be formed into true parabolic (or other desired) shapes. To advance the deployable reflector technology at high RF frequencies from the current state-of-the-art, significant improvements need to be made in three major aspects: a high-stability and highprecision deployable truss; a continuously curved RF reflecting surface (the function of the surface as well as its first derivative are both continuous); and the RF reflecting surface should be made of a continuous material. To meet these three requirements, the Membrane Shell Reflector Segment (MSRS) antenna was developed.

Details

Language :
English
Database :
NASA Technical Reports
Journal :
NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsnas.20130009390
Document Type :
Report