Nelson J.G. Fonseca, Christian Waldschmidt
©HAWKEYE 360/DANIEL BURCH
Following the first focused issue sponsored by the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society Technical Committee (TC) 29, published with its eye-catching cover in the October 2022 issue of this magazine [1], we are pleased to bring to you two additional contributions related to aerospace applications. These two articles show again the broad range—from ground to space—of interesting developments covered by microwave aerospace systems and complement nicely the first set of contributions.
The first article, by G. Amendola et al. [A1], gathers contributions from 11 authors and almost as many European research institutions and universities and provides a comprehensive survey of antennas and RF front-end technologies for low-Earth orbit (LEO) user equipment, which complements the contribution on phased-array technology that appeared in the first TC-29 focused issue [2]. This is indeed a key topic for ongoing and future constellations, which is expected to drive the market acceptance of Internet-through-satellite services. Current research is aimed at developing low-cost solutions compatible with the stringent beam steering requirements of LEO systems. The article provides a detailed discussion on the complete RF chain, starting from the antenna down to the amplification section, with several detailed comparative tables, which will certainly be of interest to researchers in the field.
The second article [A2], by J. Budroweit, German Aerospace Center, Bremen, Germany, discusses the impact of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components in future New Space missions. This is a topic he has been presenting at different venues as a member of the TC-29 Speakers Bureau. Specifically, COTS electronics provide opportunities for cost-effective satellite missions, taking advantage of the latest terrestrial technologies. An interesting use case scenario detailed in this article is the spaceborne geolocation of terrestrial and aerial RF emitters, such as the HawkEye360 Pathfinder mission that uses a cluster of three nanosatellites, illustrated on the cover of this issue. Besides New Space commercial actors, the topic of COTS components is also gaining interest among more traditional actors, including space agencies.
We want to thank again the editorial board of IEEE Microwave Magazine for its active support in the preparation of this follow-up TC-29-focused issue. We hope it will be of interest to researchers in the space sector and beyond.
[A1] G. Amendola et al. “Low-Earth orbit user segment in the Ku and Ka-Band,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 32–48, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2022.3217961.
[A2] J. Budroweit, “RF systems on chip and mixed-signal front-end devices,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 49–56, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2022.3217988.
[1] N. J. G. Fonseca and C. Waldschmidt, “Ground to space: Reviewing aerospace applications [From the Guest Editors’ Desk] ,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 30–31, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2022.3191106.
[2] R. Correia, T. Varum, J. N. Matos, A. Oliveira, and N. B. Carvalho, “User terminal segments for low-Earth orbit satellite constellations: Commercial systems and innovative research ideas,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 47–58, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2022.188124.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2022.3220835