BALL GROUND, Ga. – The world’s demand for broadband connectivity has created a new generation of high-throughput satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and now low Earth orbit (LEO). Microwaves & RF reports. Continue reading original article
2 Feb. 2021 -- Technology innovation in the ground segment, however, has struggled to catch up to the space segment -- especially when it comes to developing the most elusive of all antennas: those that are low-cost and electronically steerable to power these next-generation, low-orbit satellite networks.
Electronically steerable antennas (ESAs), often referred to as flat panels, are the critical link for next-generation constellations. Compared with their bulkier mechanical cousins, flat-panel antennas offer greater efficiency and performance while being modular and dynamically steerable—all of which are needed for the future ground segment.
Antennas from NXT Communications Corp. (NXTCOMM) in Ball Ground, Ga., leverage fragmented-aperture technology, the result of decades of defense research and collaboration with its technical research partner, Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta. The company’s phased-array antenna design focuses on more efficient radiating elements to improve the portion of the antenna facing the satellite.
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
