WASHINGTON - NASA engineers are using one of the world’s lightest solid materials to construct an antenna that could be embedded into the skin of an aircraft, creating a more aerodynamic and reliable communication solution for drones and other future air transportation options, Brian Newbacher writes for NASA. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
23 April 2025 - Made from flexible polymers and composed of 95% air, the aerogel offers tunable properties ranging from pliable to rigid. The antenna, known as an active phased array aerogel antenna, features a layer of aerogel between a circuit board and copper cells, all sealed with an insulating film. Its flat, honeycomb-like structure is less obtrusive than traditional antennas.
NASA tested a rigid version on a Britten-Norman Defender with the U.S. Navy in 2024 and later conducted successful ground tests with Eutelsat America Corp., connecting to both geostationary and low Earth orbit satellites. A flexible version is planned for development this year.
"This is significant," said NASA’s Bryan Schoenholz, "because we can connect with two vastly different satellite systems using the same antenna," enabling versatile, low-profile communication solutions for aircraft.
Related: NASA selects concepts for experimental space tech study
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Related: Eutelsat Group validates drone-based ESVA testing by Quadsat
Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
