ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-10734
Open Date: 03/02/2022 16:36 CEST
Closing Date: 10/05/2022 13:00 CEST

The objective of this activity is to design, manufacture and test an integrated W-band receive front-end for future telecom payloads. Targeted Improvements:- Enabling technology for W-band uplink gateway connectivity;- Noise figure improvement of 1 dB comparedto an equivalent distributed front-end architecture.Description: It is becoming more and more difficult to satisfy the ever increasing demand for higher data-rates in very high throughput satellite systems because of RF bandwidth limitations. The utilisation ofthespectrum available in W-band for communications in future very high throughput satellite systems will significantly increase the system capacity, reduce the number of gateway earth stations and consequently improve the overall economics of the system. A conventional distributed architecture for the front-end (receive subsystem) leads to a high noise figure at W-band, which degrades the quality of the communications uplink. An alternative approach with integration of multiple functions into compact RF receive modules will help to reduce losses and improve the payload antenna gain to system noise temperature ratio (G/T). Several strategies to improve the noise figure can be followed, such as over moded waveguide interconnection, reduction in connection length, optimisation of matching networks by the design of modules at non-standard impedance, low loss packaging techniques (e.g. flip chip, etc.), and adoption of low loss switch and filter technologies. This activity shall cover the development of a compact, integrated, W-band RF front-end receiver, including, as a minimum, a waveguide transition, an input filter and a dual-redundant low noise amplifier. A W-band RF receive front-end breadboard shall be designed, manufactured and tested to fully evaluate the concepts and technologies for space application.

Directorate: Directorate Telecom Integrated Applica
Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Monica Mezzadri
Initiating Service: TIA-TTS
IP Measure: N/A
Prog. Reference: E/0534-01G – CC-AT 4.0.1
Tender Type: Open Competition
Open To Tenderers From: AT+BE+CA+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EL+ES+FI+FR+GB+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE
Technology Keywords: 6-E-II-RF Equipment
Products Keywords: 2-L-2/3/4.1-n-Other