ESTARR Electronically Steered Antenna Array in the Wing of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft

The key objectives  of the project are as follows:

Barnard Microsystems Limited (BML) is a SME based in the UK that is developing mid-sized (6m wingspan) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for use in civilian applications throughout the world:

• in oil, gas and mineral geophysical survey work;
• in oil pipeline monitoring;
• in land and maritime border patrols.

In these missions, the RPA spends most of its time operating Beyond Line Of Sight, often in areas with no communications infrastructure. To maintain the legally mandated link between the Pilot-in-Command at the Remote Pilot Station and the RPA, a satellite data relay service must be used.

In the UASatCom IAP Feasibility Study, ESA Contract Number 4000103768, we identified the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satellite data service as a suitable Command and Control data link between the RPS and the RPA. In the SURMON Demonstration Project 4000107665, we concluded that a phased array satcoms antenna that could fit within the wing of the RPA was required:

• to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the satcoms antenna;
• to increase the reliability of the antenna, relative to mechanically pointing variants;
• to reduce the cost of the satcoms antenna for use in commercial applications.

In this proposed 12 month ARTES 5.2 Feasibility Study, we aim to demonstrate the feasibility of:

• an L band transmit and receive, electronically steered, array antenna, mounted in the wing of our Inview RPA, for use with the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satellite data relay network;
• a 5.8 GHz ISM and IEEE 802.11a (WLAN) band transmit and receive, electronically steered, array antenna, mounted in the wing (on the underside) of our Inview RPA for use in a wireless bridge link between the RPA and the Remote Pilot Station. This technology will also serve as a precursor to the proposed frequency band from 5.030 GHz to 5.091 GHz for use in a future RPA-to-satellite communications link.