NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Active retrodirective arrays for SPS beam pointingThe basic requirement of the SPS beam pointing system is that it deliver a certain amount of S-band (lambda = 12.5 cm) power to a 9.6 km diameter receiving rectenna on the ground. The power is transmitted from a 1.0 km diameter antenna array on the SPS, which is, for a rectenna at about plus or minus 40 deg. latitude, some 37.5x10 to the 6th power km distant. At the present time ARA's appear to be the best bet to realize this very stringent beam pointing requirement. An active retrodirective array (ARA) transmits a beam towards the apparent source of an illuminating signal called the pilot. The array produces, not merely reflects, RF power. Retrodirectivity is achieved by retransmitting from each element of the array a signal whose phase is the "conjugate" of that received by the element. Phase conjugate circuits and pointing errors in ARA's are described. Results obtained using a 2-element X-band ARA and an 8-element S-band ARA are included.
Document ID
19810008024
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Chernoff, R. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1980
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Johnson Space Center Solar Power Satellite Microwave Transmission and Reception
Subject Category
Energy Production And Conversion
Accession Number
81N16541
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

IDRelationTitle19810008016Collected WorksSolar Power Satellite Microwave Transmission and Reception
No Preview Available