ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8824
Open Date: 25/10/2016
Closing Date: 01/02/2017 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 16.1TT.32
Prog. Ref.: ARTES 5 Sub-El. 5.1
Budget Ref.: E/0505-01B – ARTES 5 Sub-El. 5.1
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+LU+CZ+RO+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / Antennas – BB / Other
Techology Domains: Electromagnetic Technologies and Techniques / Antennas / Measurement, Characterisation and Calibration Techniques for Radiative Payloads and Antennas
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate Telecom & Integrated Applica
Department: Telecom Technologies,Product&Systems Dep
Division: Technologies and Product Division
Contract Officer: Dorval, Nathalie
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 25/10/2016
Update Reason: Tender issue

Objective: The objective of the activity is to consolidate a working approach to reduce antenna RF testing time. This can be achieved by either using multi-probe measurement approaches or by means of interpolation-extrapolation of near field measured data. A combination with simulations of the overall response in the measured environment is expected to be required to achieve a competitive performance.Targeted Improvements: The major benefit expected from the activity is schedule and cost reduction of antenna testing whilst maintaining the accuracy of the measurements. Time reduction relates directly to thereduction in the number of measurement points required. The exact improvement will be dependent on the antenna to be tested and the hardware/software solution selected (e.g. the selection of the set of basic functions used for the interpolation) and the required accuracy. However, a reduction of a factor of4 should be within reach.Description: The methodology shall target existing measurement instrumentation and systems without being specifically bound to a particular one. However the complementary exploration of further potential improvements offered by alternative viable solutions, eventually requiring infrastructure changes, should also be identified.Antenna measurements and electromagneticantenna modelling tools are well established in their respective fields and ideas have been generated to best combine them to reduce testing cost to a minimum. At the same time efforts have been made to remove some of the major obstacles in RF antenna testing onintegrated satellites, using new testing approaches.The aim of the activity is to demonstrate a solution that is able to measure complex antennas for telecom applications by reducing RF testing time and cost. Major benefits are expected in terms of test time formultiple-beam multiple band antennas and reconfigurable antennas. Currently in all the cases identified, the large number of radiationpatterns needing to be acquired result in long test durations.More specifically the activity will look into special hardware solutions and/or software techniques to achieve a reduction in measurement time. Ways to determine the final accuracy of the data obtained shall also be investigated and included in the methodology to ensure its applicability as part of a quality-controlled industrial process, such that the community may accept it.The methodology shall be demonstrated on a suitable satellite model equipped withan antenna subsystem of a suitable complexity including at least one multiple-beam antenna.

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