ASYRIO: Antenna SYstem Reconfiguration in Orbit

ASYRIO is a development program, carried out at CASA´s facilities under an ESA (ESTEC) contract. The objective is the technological development of reconfigurable microwave devices, and their application to an antenna system for communications satellites with flexible-coverage illumination and reconfigurable missions. The associated hardware consists of an antenna-feed demonstration model, and a set of space-qualified reconfigurable components. These are to be capable of operation in space conditions, and reconfigurable through software control from an earth master station. A scenario has been tried for the second generation of Spanish-telecommunication satellites. This scenario is the fundamental input for antenna-system requirements. It presents supranational-coverage characteristics. It is for use where a flexible mission is needed or desired; detailed analysis of each particular case shows the more-appropriate reconfiguration implementation. A multibeam-reflector antenna has been accepted as the baseline for a high-gain-antenna definition, with a fixed-parabolic reflector, and a reconfigurable multibeam-feed subsystem. Reconfigurability is accomplished by the variable components assembled in the feed beam-forming network. The feed-demonstration model that supports the Spanish mission has been designed, manufactured, and tested, both electrically and thermomechanically, to verify its compliance with space geostationary environmental conditions during and after launch