ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9538
Open Date: 26/10/2018
Closing Date: 07/12/2018 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 18.1ET.22
Prog. Ref.: Technology Developme
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – Technology Developme
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+PL+EE+HU
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / On-board SW / Libraries / Command Laws and Algorithms (See specific subsystem)
Techology Domains: Electromagnetic Technologies and Techniques / Antennas / Measurement, Characterisation and Calibration Techniques for Radiative Payloads and Antennas
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: Electrical Engineering Department
Division: RF Payloads & Technology Division
Contract Officer: Ferreol, Audrey
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 26/10/2018
Update Reason: Tender issue

Future high frequency interferometric antennas (e.g. at Ka band) using large baselines require verification and testing with a veryhigh accuracy, in particular in phase. While such interferometric testing and ground calibration techniques have been successfully performed in the past (i.e. Cryosat), the consideration for baselines above 10 or 20 meters brings challenges in the ground validation in several domains: the antenna alignment, the boom effect on the antenna pattern and the synchronous co-alignment between all beams being generated are areas that require development toachieve satisfactory results, in line with the requirements. In addition, for baselines in the 15-20 meter range, the currently existing test facilities and techniques do not allow testing the complete baseline in deployed configuration. One of the solutions is to scale down the antenna sub-system, which would imply a measurement at frequencies in the order of a few hundred gigahertz – a challenge that once overcome, would allow a proper on ground characterisation ofthe complete system.A demonstrator of the scaled antenna sub-system shall be made available and tested to validate the testing conceptThe workflow of the activity is as follows:1) Identification of accuracy requirements and problem areas in large Ka band SAR interferometers2) Trade-off on verifications and testing methodologies3) Design and manufacture of scaled breadboard4) Testing ofbreadboard to validate concept

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