The future of space stabilised ground terminals

Mobile satcom platforms present the greatest design challenges in frequency domains where omnidirectional performance cannot be delivered and hence the finite antenna beamwidths must be kept sufficiently space stabilised in the presence of the host platform motion. The mobile satcom terminals which Matra Marconi Space is currently developing or supplying are described together with the anticipated evolution in each application area. Although space stabilisation of the beam is currently achieved using conventionally steered antennas, it is recognised that emerging technologies such as electronic beam forming and steering can potentially deliver a sufficient level of performance for the most agile platforms. These technologies are also discussed