Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Getting Naked: A Business Fable'
The Chemical Connection: Common Misconceptions in Wet Processing
It’s Only Common Sense: Selling to Engineers
DARPA Prototype Reflectarray Antenna Offers High Performance in Small Package
January 23, 2019 | DARPAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
DARPA’s Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) is set for launch in late February to space-qualify a new type of membrane reflectarray antenna. The antenna, made of a tissue-thin Kapton membrane, packs tightly for stowage during launch and then will deploy to its full size of 2.25 meters in diameter once it reaches low Earth orbit.
R3D2 will monitor antenna deployment dynamics, survivability and radio frequency (RF) characteristics of a membrane antenna in low-Earth orbit. The antenna could enable multiple missions that currently require large satellites, to include high data rate communications to disadvantaged users on the ground. A successful demonstration also will help prove out a smaller, faster-to-launch and lower cost capability, allowing the Department of Defense, as well as other users, to make the most of the new commercial market for small, inexpensive launch vehicles. Satellite design, development, and launch took approximately 18 months.
“The Department of Defense has prioritized rapid acquisition of small satellite and launch capabilities. By relying on commercial acquisition practices, DARPA streamlined the R3D2 mission from conception through launch services acquisition,” said Fred Kennedy, director of DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office. “This mission could help validate emerging concepts for a resilient sensor and data transport layer in low Earth orbit—a capability that does not exist today, but one which could revolutionize global communications by laying the groundwork for a space-based internet.”
The launch will take place on a Rocket Lab USA Electron rocket from the company’s launch complex on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor and integrated the 150 kg satellite; MMA Design designed and built the antenna. Trident Systems designed and built R3D2’s software-defined radio, while Blue Canyon Technologies provided the spacecraft bus.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Stocks Tumble as Nvidia Warns of Major Hit From U.S.-China Export Curbs
04/17/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamU.S. stocks slid sharply Wednesday after Nvidia warned that new U.S. export restrictions on chips to China could slash billions from its revenue, deepening investor anxiety over the broader economic fallout of President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war.
Samsung and Google Cloud Expand Partnership
04/09/2025 | PRNewswireSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd and Google Cloud today announced an expanded partnership to bring Google Cloud's generative AI technology to Ballie, a new home AI companion robot from Samsung.
Insulectro Technology Village to Feature 35 Powerchats at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
03/11/2025 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, will present its popular and successful 13.5-minute PowerChats™ during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, March 18-20, 2025.
Drip by Drip: Semiconductor Water Management Innovations
03/05/2025 | IDTechExNot only does semiconductor manufacturing require large volumes of energy, chemicals, and silicon wafers, it also requires vast volumes of water. IDTechEx’s latest report, “Sustainable Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing 2025-2035: Players, Markets, Forecasts”, forecasts water usage across semiconductor manufacturing to double by 2035, as demand for integrated circuits continues to rise.
Pusan National University Develops One-Step 3D Microelectrode Technology for Neural Interfaces
02/28/2025 | PRNewswireNeural interfaces are crucial in restoring and enhancing impaired neural functions, but current technologies struggle to achieve close contact with soft and curved neural tissues. Researchers at Pusan National University have introduced an innovative method—microelectrothermoforming (μETF)—to create flexible neural interfaces with microscopic three-dimensional (3D) structures.