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NASA NTRS1997

Microstrip Reflectarray with Elements Having Variable Rotation Angles

Two Ka-band, half-meter diameter, circularly polarized microstrip reflectarrays have been developed. One has identical square patches with variable-length phase delay lines. The other uses identical square patches and delay lines with variable element rotation angles. Although both antennas demonstrated excellent efficiencies, adequate bandwidths, and low average sidelobe and cross-pol levels, the one with variable rotation angles achieved superior overall performance. It is believed that these are electrically the largest microstrip reflectarrays (6924 elements with 42 dB gain) ever developed. It is also the first time that circular polarization has been actually demonstrated using microstrip patch elements. Recent advances in reflectarray technology include the following: An X-band 0.75 m diameter microstrip reflectarray using variable-length phase delay lines which demonstrated a relatively high efficiency of 70% with peak gain of 35 dB; a partial microstrip reflectarray with beam scanning capability; A 27 GHz 0.23m diameter microstrip reflectarray using variable-size patches which achieved a gain of 31 dB at an efficiency of 31%. All these reflectarrays have dual-linear and dual-circular polarization capabilities, but only linear polarizations were demonstrated.

Huang, John↗

NASA NTRS1998

Ultra-Wideband UHF Microstrip Array for GeoSAR Application

GeoSAR is a program sponsored by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to develop an airborne, radar- based, commercial terrain mapping system for identification of geologic, seismic, and environmental information, it has two (dual-band at X and UHF) state-of-the-art interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) ground mapping systems. The UHF interferometric system is utilized to penetrate the vegetation canopy and obtain true ground surface height information, while the Xband system will provide capability of mapping the top foliage surface. This paper presents the UHF antenna system where the required center frequency is 350 MHz with a 160 MHz of bandwidth (46% from 270 MHz to 430 MHz). The antenna is required to have dual-linear polarization with a peak gain of 10 dB at the center frequency and a minimum gain of 8 dB toward two ends of the frequency band. One of the most challenging tasks, in addition to achieving the 46% bandwidth, is to develop an antenna with small enough size to fit in the wing-tip pod of a Gulfstream II aircraft.

Thomas, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS1998

An Inflatable L-Band Microstrip SAR Array

Inflatable structures have been identified as one of the enabling technologies to achieve low mass, high packaging efficiency, and reliable deployment for future NASA spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) array antennas. A current L-band SAR antenna development, with aperture size of 10 m x 3 m, is required to have the capabilities of dual-linear polarization, 80-MHz bandwidth, electronic beam scanning, and less than 100 kg of mass. An inflatable concept, which employs the inflatable tubular frame structure to support a multilayer, thin membrane, microstrip array radiating aperture, has been identified. It uses a "roll-up" concept, for deploying the thin membranes to form a planar array aperture. To demonstrate this concept, two contracts were independently given to ILC Dover, Inc. and L'Garde Corp. for each to construct a 1/3 size (3.3 m x 1.0 m) functional model with an inflatable structure at L-band frequency. JPL provided both contractors with the antenna RF design and the etched thin membranes. The ILC Dover model has been delivered to JPL and gone through a series of deployment and RF tests. This is believed to be the first inflatable array antenna ever developed. This paper presents the mechanical and electrical constructions of this inflatable array and its test results.

Huang, J.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Microstrip Antenna for Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Sea Surface Salinity

This compact, lightweight, dual-frequency antenna feed developed for future soil moisture and sea surface salinity (SSS) missions can benefit future soil and ocean studies by lowering mass, volume, and cost of the antenna system. It also allows for airborne soil moisture and salinity remote sensors operating on small aircraft. While microstrip antenna technology has been developed for radio communications, it has yet to be applied to combined radar and radiometer for Earth remote sensing. The antenna feed provides a key instrument element enabling high-resolution radiometric observations with large, deployable antennas. The design is based on the microstrip stacked-patch array (MSPA) used to feed a large, lightweight, deployable, rotating mesh antenna for spaceborne L-band (approximately equal to 1 GHz) passive and active sensing systems. The array consists of stacked patches to provide dual-frequency capability and suitable radiation patterns. The stacked-patch microstrip element was designed to cover the required L-band center frequencies at 1.26 GHz (lower patch) and 1.413 GHz (upper patch), with dual-linear polarization capabilities. The dimension of patches produces the required frequencies. To achieve excellent polarization isolation and control of antenna sidelobes for the MSPA, the orientation of each stacked-patch element within the array is optimized to reduce the cross-polarization. A specialized feed-distribution network was designed to achieve the required excitation amplitude and phase for each stacked-patch element.

Ramhat-Samii, Yahya↗

NASA NTRS2014

A Microfabricated 8-40 GHz Dual-Polarized Reflector Feed

Planar antennas based on tightly coupled dipole arrays (also known as a current sheet antenna or CSA) are amenable for use as electronically scanned phased arrays. They are capable of performance nearing a decade of bandwidth. These antennas have been demonstrated in many implementations at frequencies below 18 GHz. This paper describes the implementation using a relatively new multi-layer microfabrication process resulting in a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with beamformer that operates from 8 to 40 GHz. The beamformer includes baluns that feed the dual-polarized differential antenna elements and reactive splitter networks that also cover the full frequency range of operation. This antenna array serves as a reflector feed for a multi-band instrument designed to measure snow water equivalent (SWE) from airborne platforms. The instrument has both radar and radiome try capability at multiple frequencies. Scattering-parameter and time-domain measurements have been used to characterize the array feed. Radiation patterns of the antenna have been measured and are compared to simulation. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work represents the most integrated multi-octave millimeter-wave antenna feed fabricated to date.

current sheet antenna↗

NASA NTRS2015

Antenna Characterization for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements

Experimental characterization of the antenna for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements (WISM) under development for the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), is discussed. A current sheet antenna, consisting of a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with integrated beamformer, feeds an offset parabolic reflector, enabling WISM operation over an 8 to 40 GHz frequency band. An overview of the test program implemented for both the feed and the reflector antenna is given along with select results for specific frequencies utilized by the radar and radiometric sensors of the WISM.

Primary reflector↗

NASA NTRS2015

Antenna Characterization for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements (WISM)

Experimental characterization of the antenna for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurement (WISM) under development for the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), is discussed. A current sheet antenna, consisting of a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with integrated beamformer, feeds an offset parabolic reflector, enabling WISM operation over an 8 to 40 GHz frequency band. An overview of the test program implemented for both the feed and the reflector antenna is given along with select results for specific frequencies utilized by the radar and radiometric sensors of the WISM.

dual-polarized antenna↗

NASA NTRS2015

Design of an 8-40 GHz Antenna for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements (WISM)

Measurement of land surface snow remains a significant challenge in the remote sensing arena. Developing the tools needed to remotely measure Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is an important priority. The Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements (WISM) is being developed to address this need. WISM is an airborne instrument comprised of a dual-frequency (X- and Ku-bands) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and dual-frequency (K- and Ka-bands) radiometer. A unique feature of this instrument is that all measurement bands share a common antenna aperture consisting of an array feed reflector that covers the entire bandwidth. This paper covers the design and fabrication of the wideband array feed which is based on tightly coupled dipole arrays. Implementation using a relatively new multi-layer microfabrication process results in a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with beamformer that operates from 8 to 40 gigahertz.

8-40 GHz↗

NASA NTRS1997

Microstrip Reflectarray with Elements Having Variable Rotation Angles

Two Ka-band, half-meter diameter, circularly polarized microstrip reflectarrays have been developed. Although both antennas demonstrated excellent efficiencies, adequate bandwidths, and low average sidelobe and cross-pol levels, the one with variable rotation angles achieved superior overall performance. It is believed that these are electrically the largest microstrip reflectarrays (6924 elements with 42 dB gain) ever developed. It is also the first time that circular polarization has been actually demonstrated using microstrip patch elements. All these reflectarrays have dual-linear and dual-circular polarization capabilities, but only linear polarizations were demonstrated.

antennas↗

NASA NTRS1998

An Inflatable L-Band Microstrip SAR Array

L-band↗