A Novel Method for High-Power Thermal Vacuum Testing of Satellite Payloads Using Pickup Horns

This paper presents the development of a novel method for high-power thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing of satellite payloads using pickup horns (PUH). It describes the design, manufacture, and qualification results for a Ku-band pickup horn, followed by high-power thermal vacuum test results of a Ku-band satellite for fixed satellite service. Based on the successful demonstration of this method, a generic pickup horn (GPUH) - with improved performance over a large bandwidth, covering 7.0 GHz to 21.0 GHz - was developed for testing of X-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band satellite payloads. Detailed design and qualification aspects of the generic pickup horn are addressed, including measured results. This method has been successfully employed for high-power thermal vacuum testing of three different satellites at Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), and is the planned testing method for all future payloads.