High Power Microwave Effects in Antennas for Planetary Exploration

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has been involved in the early design and operation of satellites for eventual planetary exploration as far back as the late 1950s. The development of antennas has seen steady maturation from simple painted on spiral elements, to monopoles/dipo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in2024 United States National Committee of URSI National Radio Science Meeting (USNC-URSI NRSM) p. 308
Main Author Sharma, Avinash
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published USNC-URSI 09.01.2024
Subjects
Microstrip antenna arrays
Microwave antennas
Microwave communication
Phased arrays
Reflector antennas
Satellite broadcasting
Spirals
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Summary:The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has been involved in the early design and operation of satellites for eventual planetary exploration as far back as the late 1950s. The development of antennas has seen steady maturation from simple painted on spiral elements, to monopoles/dipoles, bi and quadrifilars, flat antennas (a pre-cursor to the modern day microstrip patch antenna), reflector systems, and the first phased array to fly in deep space. These antennas undergo rigorous analyses and tests, encompassing electrical, thermal, mechanical, structural, radiation, and materials to minimize risk of failure during the mission. As planetary missions continue to explore regions of the solar system characterized by challenging communication links and environments, higher microwave transmit power is necessitated. The higher power requires careful study of two distinct effects: corona and multipactor. The former being a concern in partial vacuum environments, whereas the later a concern in full vacuum. Both effects can cause problems for the communications systems, from periodic disruption in the link quality due to close-in noise to catastrophic failure. A review of these two effects on the antennas on two planetary missions, along with the analysis and test methodology, will be the subject of the presentation.
DOI:10.23919/USNC-URSINRSM60317.2024.10465220