Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Rascoe, D. L..
A deep space satellite downconverter receiver was proposed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA Lewis research Center (LeRC) for the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) High Temperature Superconductivity Space Experiment, phase-ii (HTSSE-II) program....
A 1.5-W solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) has been demonstrated as part of an effort to develop and evaluate state-of-the-art transmitter and receiver components at 32 and 35 GHz for future deep space missions. Output power and efficiency measurements for a monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC)-based SSPA are reported. Technical design details for the various modules and a thermal analysis are discussed, as well as future plans.
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A 21-element phased array transmit feed was demonstrated as part of an effort to develop and evaluate state-of-the-art transmitter and receiver components at 32 and 34 GHz for future deep-space missions. Antenna pattern measurements demonstrating electronic beam steering of the two-dimensional array are reported and compared with predictions based on measured performance of MMIC-based phase shifter and amplifier modules and Vivaldi slotline radiating elements.
Ka-band MMIC transmitter arrays are under development at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for future deep space and ground communication needs. A high efficiency full aperture active antenna array is desired to demonstrate solid state array technology for future NASA missions. This paper reports on a 5 watt Ka-band phased array feed and a full aperture active array for a mobile terminal which are being developed to characterize the design tradeoffs and potential of solid state Ka-band MMIC array communication systems.
A 32-GHz six-element linear transmitter array utilizing monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) phase shifters and power amplifiers was designed and tested as part of the development of a spacecraft array feed for NASA deep-space communications applications. Measurements of the performance of individual phase shifters, power amplifiers, and microstrip radiators were carried out, and electronic beam steering of the linear array was demonstrated. The switched-line phase shifters were accurate to within 7 percent on average and the power amplifier 1-dB compressed output power varied over 0.3 dB. The array had a beamwidth of 7.5 deg and demonstrated acceptable beam steering over + or - 8 deg. From the results, it can be concluded that this MMIC phased array has adequate beam-scanning capability for use in the two-dimensional array. The areas that need to be improved are the efficiency of the MMIC power amplifier and the insertion loss of the MMIC phase shifter.