CURRENT ACTIVITIES ON SAR ANTENNAS AT AAS-I

P.Capece, R.Mizzoni, A.Meschini, R.Trento, V.Santachiara and P.Valle(1)

(1)

Alcatel Alenia Space Italia, via Saccomuro, 24, 00131 Roma, Italy, pasquale.capece@aleniaspazio.it true time delay lines to stabilize the beam pointing. From mechanical point of view the antenna is organised in three panels: a fixed central panel with 8 tiles and two lateral deployable wings, with 16 tiles each. The center panel is fixed to the S/C top floor by a simple central bracket, plus four blades on corners to limit the out-of-plane thermal distortions. Each wing is fixed to S/C platform by two hinges antenna deployment mechanism (ADM) and four hold down and release mechanisms (HRMs). Once pyro-cutters are activated, the lateral panels are released, and the ADMs spring-driven hinges deploy the whole antenna. The ADM is provided with a viscous damping system to limit deployment speed and relevant shock levels. The central panel is provided as an unitary integrated part, with a thermal control subsystem based on heat pipes and two thermal radiators fixed on velocity and anti-velocity platform lateral panels. Panel front sides are covered by RF transparent sunshield to limit the absorption of the solar flux. The Tile is considered the fundamental brick to realize SAR antenna aperture of different size, mass and power: changing the number of tiles it is possible to realize antennas having a number of T/R modules ranging from few hundreds active elements up to more than a thousand of modules. A new antenna design based on a 16 Tiles configuration is under development for a commercial program. The antenna consists in this case of two deployable panels having 8 tiles each, as shown in figure 1.2. The platform is in charge to the SAR instrument final customer.

ABSTRACT The paper will focus on the active antennas architectures (operating at X band and C band respectively) and on array-fed reflector based SAR with different concepts for flexibility at feed array level. 1. X-BAND ACTIVE SAR

Alcatel Alenia Space Italy (AAS-I) is currently providing the four active phased array antennas for the Cosmo/Sky-Med Mission, under ASI and Italian MOD contract. The Antenna is the key element of the end-toend Space segment, which includes the Prima Platform and the Data Transfer to ground payload (PDHT) already used for Radarsat-2. The design, based on the previous ASI-MOD development program, named SAR2000, has brought to an antenna architecture based on the tile approach, as shown in figure 1.1. As described in [1], the SAR antenna works in X band and provides electronic beam steering in both azimuth and elevation planes, supporting H and V polarizations. The radiating aperture, of about 8 sqm, utilizes patch array as radiating element. It includes 1280 T/R modules with independent amplitude and phase control arranged in 40 tiles. The Tiles are mounted on the three panels supporting frames which support also the beam forming networks and the DC and digital harness.

Figure 1.2 Active SAR Antenna with 16 Tiles Figure 1.1 X Band SAR Antenna Due to the large bandwidth and wide angle steering capability, the antenna is also equipped with variable 1.1 Tile Unit The Tile [2] is organized in four columns of 8 radiating elements, which corresponds to four columns of 8 T/R

modules. The Tile is internally divided into seven separated rooms, four for the Electronic Front End with 8 T/R modules each, two for the power supply units and one for the digital controller and the TDL, each closed with a proper cover. The internal view of a tile is shown in figure 1.3 Tile Unit

calibration. One of the two ATEs for the Tiles is shown in figure 1.5.

Figure 1.4 Automatic pick and place machines and wiring interconnection machines. TPSU TDL SBC EFE with 8 TRMs

Figure 1.3 Tile and its internal units 1.3 Production Lines The main objective has been to produce a whole antenna with a rate less than 1 year, corresponding to have the capability to manufacture and test the 40 Tiles of one antenna in 5/6 months. To reach this objective, two production lines of T/R modules and two for the Tiles have been realized. The T/R module production line consists of two parallel lines able to assembly and test up 150 T/R modules /month, for a total amount of about 300 modules /month. In figure 1.4 the two automatic machines for pick and place the MMICs and the other components of the T/R modules are shown. In the same figure also the two automatic interconnection wiring machines can be seen. Moreover it has been necessary to realize RF automatic test equipment ( ATE ) for the T/R modules. Also in this case two ATEs for T/R modules have been designed, manufactured and tested and are now working within the production lines. Concerning the Tile, the most critical activity is the calibration of the 128 RF channels in the thermal range (each of the 32 T/R modules has 4 RF channels). This achieved by two main steps: Characterization of the RF channels in the thermal range; Compensation verification over the whole range. The two ATEs, each of which is made of 4 separated automatic test equipments, are able to work in parallel to measure at the same time 4 T/R modules, drastically reducing the overall time required for the tile

Figure 1.5 Automatic Test Equipment for Tile calibration in temperature 1.4 Advanced SAR The development of advanced SAR configuration are under study in AAS-I. The drivers for the improved antenna design in the medium terms are: Mass reduction for lightweight antenna; Quad-polarisation antenna; Dual or multiple aperture antenna ; Overall cost reduction. The mass reduction is considered a fundamental step because a lighter antenna can utilize smaller launchers, with a significant cost reduction of the mission. Alternatively, an increase of the antenna aperture can be implemented without increasing the overall payload mass. The mass reduction can be achieved by improving the integration of the Tiles with the panels supporting frame. The idea is to substitute the panel frame with a macro-tile structure on which all the electronics, assembled on light-weight frames, can be mounted over.

Concerning the quad-polarisation, that is the possibility to simultaneously receive both H and V polarised RF signals, this functionality can be implemented by updating the T/R modules and the overall beam forming network design. In this case three beam forming networks have to be utilized, one for TX and two for the Rx H and Rx V. The same beam forming networks can be also used for calibration purposes, but this requires additional switching function to be allocated inside the T/R modules. The tile architecture allows to divide the antenna in separated apertures (two or more) to realize multibeam sensor capabilities suitable to MTI or STAP processing. This can simply achieved by separation of the antenna beam forming network in two or more sections to be connected to a switching matrix included in SAR Electronics. Blocks of tiles could be connected to the central radar electronics by using analog fiber optic links and/or analog to digital converters allowing digital processing, reducing the overall beam forming mass, complexity and cost. 1.5 Cost Reduction The cost reduction is another fundamental aspect to be considered for SAR antennas, mainly dependent by the selected technological solutions adopted within the tile. Two principal factors impacts the overall cost of the antenna: 1) the T/R module production cost; 2) the Tile characterization / verification in temperature. The T/R module cost depends on several contributors. The most important are: the number of chips to be used; the complexity of the module itself (single or dual polarised); the packaging technology; The number of chips to be adopted could be reduced by the usage of multifunctional core chip, which perform amplification, amplitude and phase setting and switching functions inside the T/R module. This leads to a single channel T/R module with three or maximum four chips, reducing the overall complexity of the module and therefore the number of elementary steps to integrate the module. Moreover single channel module will reduce the number of interconnections giving a significant cost reduction to the overall production. A further area of investigation for cost control is the acceptance RF test campaign. More specialised test equipment for T/R modules will allow to further reduce the time for the RF testing from the 2/3 hours to few tens of minutes.

Concerning the packaging, the new approach will be based on the Integral Substrate Package (ISP). ISP is manufactured brazing hermetically a Kovar frame on a ceramic LTCC base. LTCC contains a multilayer routing composed of conductive lines, planes, vias. ISP is glued or brazed on a Kovar, Molybdenum or CuW carrier, depending on the particular thermal constraints. The ISP packaging can reduce to one the number of ceramics to be used inside the T/R module, simplifying also the whole assembly flow. The over temperature compensation of the Tile unit is a second factor of cost in the antenna production. The compensation activity is divided in two main steps: the over temperature characterization; the verification of the achieved compensation. It is considered fundamental this test to be performed on the entire tile assy, including therefore all the RF chains, the power supply units and the digital controller. Also in this case was considered necessary to adopt automatic test equipment to perform the test campaign. The current production lines can achieve up to 8 tiles per month. Improvements at test equipment level are under study to reduce the time of the test for a single tile less than 3 days to perform measurements up to 10/12 tiles per month. 2. C-BAND ACTIVE SAR

In the frame of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES) ESA is undertaking the development of a European Radar Observatory (Sentinel -1) for the continuation of SAR operational applications. AAS-I has been responsible for the whole antenna architectural design in the frame of B1 study phase, developed under ESA contract, and in particular for the compatibility of the antenna design with the Prima platform. The proposed C-band SAR antenna is an active phased array with wide electronic steering capability along the elevation plane and limited steering angle along the azimuth plane. The radiating aperture is 1.4m x 10 m and includes 320 linear arrays working in double polarisation. The SAR antenna operates simultaneously in H and V polarization in receiving mode and in H or V (selectable) polarization in transmitting mode. The antenna is organized in five mechanical panels, with two foldable lateral wings and a central panel mounted on the S/C top floor. Figure 2.1 shows the antenna in both stowed and deployed configuration. The single mechanical panel, is a fixed module of the antenna containing the electronic equipment of two tiles, with its mechanical and electrical interfaces to S/C platform.

High thermal efficiency, High grade of modularity to simplify the usually complex AIT activity at both tile and its subassemblies levels (EFE cards, electronic equipment, BFN, harness, etc.), Cosmic radiation Shielding for tile electronic equipment. Figure 2.3 shows the panel with the two tile modules.

Figure 2.1 Sentinel-1 Antenna in stowed and deployed configuration From mechanical point of view the antenna is arranged in three segments: One fixed central segment (one panel containing two tiles) mounted on platform top-floor; Two deployable lateral segments, the two identical deployable wings, each containing two panels, accommodated on +X and X S/C panels. The single stowed wing, with its two folded panels, is connected to the S/C by 4 HRMs and two 90 ADM hinges. The two folded panels are connected each other by the same four HRMs plus two 180 ADM hinges. Once released, the single wing of the antenna will deploy as illustrated in Figure 2.2. Concerning the deployment mechanisms, a new 180 spring driven hinge, derived from the 90 mechanism, has been envisaged to allow the wing deployment.

Figure 2.3 Sentinel-1 antenna panel concept (only one radiating element is visualised) 2.1 Tile Unit The single tile is a separate module composed of a structural frame on which the complete set of electronic equipment is installed. The idea to develop relatively small tile module, easy to handle, that brings considerable benefits for assembly, integration and test campaign at unit level. All structural parts (shells and covers) are machined from Al plates.The tile includes 32+32 T/R modules, two redounded power supplies and the digital control unit. Concerning the arrangement of the T/R modules inside the tile, AAS-I has studied a configuration where they will be grouped in blocks of 8 on a single electronic front end (EFE) card, which will include also the ASICs for the digital I/Fs to the tile control unit and the capacitor banks to store the energy for the RF pulses. The RF distribution inside the tile is achieved by an elevation plane distribution network, made of three overlapped dividers in suspended technology. All the Tile electronics are mounted on a Tile supporting frame, which allows to perform the characterization and verification test by a unique testing activity over temperature. 3. REFLECTOR BASED SAR

Figure 2.2 Sentinel-1 antenna with one wing partially deployed The antenna panel is a self-standing modular box providing: High stiffness with minimum structural I/Fs,

The first array-fed reflector based SAR was realized in Ku band by AAS-I and flown on the Cassini satellite in 1997 [1].

AAS-I is currently engaged in studies aimed of investigating multifeed concepts for low cost reflector SAR antennas suitable to implement Stripmap, Scansar, Spotlight and limited MTI functions. These are consistent with the realization of a limited number of (fixed, switchable or reconfigurable) fan beams realized by single/multimode sectorial horns in single polarization or a cluster of dual polarization beams by using high efficiency small horns for an efficient segmentation of each sectorial horn. In order to be cost effective, the antenna SAR must be tailored according to the cost target as the best compromise between flexibility Vs complexity, in particular accounting for: Number and type of requested functions (i.e. stipmap, scansar, spotlight, MTI, single polar or dual polarization). Payload architecture (i.e. concentrated Vs distributed amplification). Platform class and type (which conditions the embarkable reflector dimension, its focal length, the complexity of the feeding system and the amplification S/S). Few architectures will be shortly discussed in the following. 3.1 Stripmap and Scansar

platform is illustrated in fig. 3.1. The antenna optics with the feed array displaced along the range plane is presented in the side figure. The SAR mission functionality is mainly dictated by the BFNs implementation and the feed elements. A simple configuration based on a single polarization can be easily realized by means of a properly sized sectorial horns for each beam. A much complex dual polarization configuration requires the segmentation of each sectorial horn by several high efficiency radiating elements, typically one wavelength, backed by OMTs and connected to independent beam-forming networks (BFNs) for H and V polarization respectively. In case of not simultaneous H&V operation, a polarization switch can be placed behind each OMT, to avoid one BFN. The linear arrays or the sectorial horns, are stacked on 3 layers to avoid physical interference. In so doing, a shift of the beams along the range plane has to be accepted. 3.2 Stripmap and MTI

A configuration based on a reflector of 1.45m x 5.8m with focal length of 2 m operating at 9.6 GHz in single and/or double linear polarization is under study. The antenna provides a beamwidth of 0.35 in along track direction and seven fan beams ranging between +/1.8- 3 at fixed direction in the across-track direction, resulting in an accessible range of about +/-7 wrt antenna boresight direction. A possible accommodation

Several single polarization sectorial horns can be arrayed along the E- plane to implement some MTI functionality, keeping at minimum the hardware complexity, as illustrated for instance in fig. 3.2. In the example here illustrated eight narrow sectorial horns are used to provide 3 independent adjacent beams in the range plane, at 3dB nominal overlap. The horns are fed by a simple dual mode BFN based on fixed hybrids and phase shifters. The example reported in figs. 3.2 and 3.3 is based on the same optics geometry described in 3.1.

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0/-90

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Figure 3.2 BFN scheme for3 azimuth beams by means of dual mode BFNs.

Figure 3.1 Large Reflector in stowed configuration and antenna optics. of the tri-fold CFRP reflector on a medium class Figure 3.3 Beams obtained with simplified scheme ( fig. 3.2) having three separated receive chains.

3.3

Strimap and Spotlight

A B C A B C A B C A B C

To accomplish a limited azimuth scan a simple feeding arrangement based on Butler like matrices and variable phase shifters (VPSs), can be adopted, as illustrated Fig 3.4.
A B C A B C A B C

VPD

VPD

VPD

VPD

VPD

VPD

VPD

VPD

VPD

A:3x3

B:3x3

C:3x3

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Figure 3.6 BFN scheme based on VPDs for limited azimuth scan.
1:3 1:3 1:3

3.4

Multiple functionality

1:3

Figure 3.4 BFN scheme based on VPSs for limited azimuth scan. The small 3x3 Butler type matrices can be replaced by higher order networks to improve the scanning granularity whenever necessary. The example illustrated is particularly simple for single polarization sectorial horns. In fig. 3.5 a scanned beam based on BFN scheme of fig. 3.4 and the same optics geometry described in section 3.1, is visualized.

Higher flexibility can be implemented by increasing the feed array dimension in the focal plane and adding some switching capability or using high order matrices to additional horns. For single polarization SAR this complexity could be kept close to a minimum if limited azimuth scan is requested to the beam close to reflector focus only, leaving the scansar beams in elevation without steering capability in azimuth. In this case a generalization of the BFN configurations described in sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 can be implemented, as illustrated for instance in figure 3.7. A similar figure can be derived for VPDs based BFNs, starting from fig. 3.6. Higher order Butler like matrices could be used to prevent switches as for instance indicated in fig. 3.8, where 8x8 matrices are proposed. The limited isolation among the ports of the matrices can be a drawback to such solutions.
A B C A B C A B C A B C A B C

Figure 3.5 An optimised beam by BFN scheme based on fig. 3.4. Fig 3.6 reports an alternative network based on Variable Power Dividers (VPDs), with larger steering capability.

More Switches for higher Elevation scan

A:3x3

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More Switches for higher Elevation scan

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Figure 3.7 BFN scheme based on VPSs and switches for limited azimuth scan and Scansar in elevation ( number of elevation beams can be increased by adding additional switches to dedicated horns on other fan beams ) .

azimuth A B C

azimuth/elevation A B C

azimuth A B C

elevation (5) A B C

A: 8x8 B: 8x8

1:24

C: 8x8

Figure 3.8 BFN scheme for azimuth (limited steering) and elevation scan (5 beams). 3.5 Enabling technologies

The antenna BFN schemes presented can be compatible to distributed or concentrated amplification systems. For concentrated amplification schemes the applicable enabling technologies for beam flexibility are based on medium power R or T type switches, ferrite VPSs or VPDs. For distributed amplification architectures based on several parallel TWTAs, low power reconfigurable PCBs including MMIC multibit phase shifters and attenuators are necessary. Low frequency reflector based SAR ( P to C band ) requiring larger apertures , in the range of 12m to 16m will also rely on unfurlable reflector technologies [3]. Other concepts based on reconfigurable reflectarrays by MEMS are attractive and promising alternatives [4]. 4. CONCLUSION

A survey on current activities carried on at AAS-I for active phased array SAR and low cost array-fed reflector based SAR have been presented. 5. REFERENCE 1 Mizzoni R. et al., Satellite Antennas at Alenia Spazio, 28th ESA Antenna Workshop on Space Antenna Systems and Technologies. 2 Capece P. et al., Design and Qualification of the Tile unit for the COSMO SkyMed SAR Antenna, 28th ESA Antenna Workshop on Space Antenna Systems and Technologies. 3. Milano M. et al., European Large Deployable Antenna Development status and application . This Conference. 4 Caille G. et al., MEMS controlled phase shift elements for a linear polarised reflectarray, 28th ESA Antenna Workshop on Space Antenna Systems and Technologies