Normalized plane wave spectra: Quantification of measured near-field distributions for the ISS-RapidScat using measured far-field patterns

The International Space Station Rapid Scatterometer (ISS-RapidScat) instrument was recently developed and launched to sense ocean winds. This recent addition to the ISS significantly improves the detection and sensing capabilities of the current satellite constellation. An important consideration in this antenna is the interference generated towards nearby space vehicles and humans due to its relatively high RF power output. To avoid this issue, our work aims to characterize the antenna´s near-field distribution, whose knowledge could aid in blanker circuit design to shut off the RF power for certain time slots during the scan period. A generalized and customized procedure using Spectral Domain analysis, i.e. plane wave spectra, is proposed to predict the absolute near-field values in V/m for a given radiated power and measured far-field patterns.