ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO10241
Open Date: 07/07/2020
Closing Date: 08/10/2020 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 20.1TT.55
Prog. Ref.: CC-AT 4.0.1
Budget Ref.: E/0534-01G – CC-AT 4.0.1
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+CA+HU+PL
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / Antennas – BB / Antenna Towers and/or Reflectors
Technology Domains: Electromagnetic Technologies and Techniques / Antennas / Array Antennas and Standalone Radiators
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate Telecom & Integrated Applica
Department: Telecom Technologies,Product&Systems Dep
Division: Technologies and Products Division
Contract Officer: Ferreol, Audrey
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 07/07/2020
Update Reason: Tender issue

The objective of this activity is to design, manufacture and test an Engineering Model of an ultra-stable offset reflector for W-band telecommunication feeder links. Targeted Improvements: Enabling technology for W-band feeder links. Description: The next-generation high-capacity communication satellites require reflector antennas with the ability to generate multiple spot beams in order to link the satellite and the gateways (feeder links). These antennas will operate in W-band (71 to 86 GHz) and will need to have a radiating aperture with a diameter ranging from 2 to 3 meters. In order to operate in such a high frequency band, the reflector surface needs to be manufactured with a very high accuracy and the reflector RF reflective surface needs to be very stable under the thermal loading imposed by the space environment. In this activity, different reflector concepts, types of reflector materials and processes, and manufacturing aspects related to reflector moulds and the reflector curing process will be studied and traded off. A batch of different reflector surface samples will be developed and experimentally evaluated. The most promising reflector technology will be selected and a full-size reflector Engineering Model will be designed, manufactured and tested. The test campaign will include at least a reflector surface profile measurement, thermal vacuum cycling, and thermo-elastic, acoustic and vibration tests. RFcharacterisation at sample level will also be carried out. Thermo-elastic tests can be performed on a reduced-scale EM if the available chambers/techniques are not viable for the full-scale EM.