An algorithm for determining the geometric parameters of the aperture of an on-board deployable antenna system in an orbital flight

Abstract

Earth remote sensing complexes placed on light-class spacecraft may have a radiating aperture size of the antenna system exceeding the specified dimensional limits, therefore such antenna system are placed on a multi-section frame. Their design feature is the ability to unfold in space after being put into orbit, which makes it possible to significantly increase the size of the aperture and, as a result, improve the quality of scientific and target remote sensing information. During deployment and in the conditions of orbital flight, under the influence of destabilizing factors of outer space, a distortion of the distribution of amplitudes and phases at the antenna aperture can be observed, which is caused, among other things, by a distortion of geometric parameters caused by a change in the position of the sections of the speaker relative to each other within the tolerances of the aperture installation. In this regard, it is an urgent task to determine the geometric parameters of the aperture of the speaker according to ground measurements, which can be compensated by adjusting the weight coefficients in a multi-channel speaker or by mechanically rotating the sections, depending on the available capabilities. Reducing the influence of destabilizing factors of the deployment of a multi-section radiating aperture on the directional pattern of the antenna system in orbital flight conditions. An algorithm is proposed for determining the geometric parameters of the deployment of the deployed antenna system in the conditions of orbital flight, which allows calculating the angles of the mutual position of the sections based on ground measurements. The main advantage of the developed algorithm is that it does not require measurements of directional patterns at the gain scale or measurement of complex readings of the directional pattern, which require high-precision certified stands. To successfully correct the parameters of the on-board antenna, it is enough to have the results of amplitude measurements. The application of the developed algorithm will make it possible to effectively use the energy potential of space-based on-board radio engineering complexes using large-sized deployable antenna arrays as antenna systems by determining and compensating for the influence of distortions in the geometric parameters of the aperture.