PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The project is finalized to assess the feasibility of realizing one of the Technological Demonstration Payloads (TDP), to be hosted aboard the Alphasat satellite (the main passenger of which will be a proper operational payload). This TDP named Q/V band payload, took the identifier TDP#5. This Phase-A contract, awarded to Space Engineering, has the purpose of providing the technical and planning data needed to evaluate all implications of flying said Q-/V-band payload aboard the Alphasat, in parallel with the main-mission payload. The main objective of the proposed experimental mission is to support three activities:
- Communications experiments: main aim is to assess, over-the-air, the performance of links operating at Q/V band in conjunction with Interference and Fading Mitigation Techniques (noticeably ACM), in the perspective of deploying future high-capacity systems utilizing that band for the feeder-link (and lower frequency bands for the user-link),
- Scientific experiment: main aim is to obtain additional Q/V-band propagation data that are indispensable for optimizing modern satellite systems design, and to assess the system-level impact of data coming from propagation measurements, data-bases and channel simulators,
- Technology experiment: to verify the in-flight performance of innovative hardware, with particular regard to devices based on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).
Challenges
Advance in communications and propagation experiments in leading frequency bands.
Plan
The development plan is tailored to Alphasat main Mission Plan. The payload DDP intends to realise the P/L by middle 2008 to integrate it on board the platform.
Current Status
The Phase A has been concluded with:
- preliminary definition of the system specification and architecture
- Issue of a tentative Interface Control Document towards Alphabus
- Design and Development Plan definition
- Schedule proposal
- Technology Predevelopments preliminary identification
- Definition of an engineering workplan specific for the Phase B