Flexible Ka-Band Low Noise Amplifier Sub-System for Oncoming Satellite Payloads

Satellite market requires more and more flexibility and versatility both economically and technically. Therefore, a new generation of Ka-band low noise amplifier sub-system for multiple applications at state-of-the-art performance and low cost was developed at Alcatel Alenia Space France. This flexible LNA is integrated in two major sub-systems: on the one hand, the "Telecom Assembly" Ka-band LNA developed to reduce multimedia digital divide - of which the assembly form is useful for multibeam applications -, and on the other hand, the "Switch Matrix" LNA included in the same multimedia system as the switching part of the antenna pointing system error corrector. The outstanding performance of this fully packaged hermetic Ka-band LNA sub-system is a noise figure below 2.5 dB at 65 degC (worst case)