TRW´s broadband communication payloads at C- and Ku- frequency bands

Today´s communication systems operate mainly in C and Ku frequency bands. They are characterized by broad regional coverage, relatively low satellite antenna gain, EIRP and G/T, and modest data rates. Their throughput is limited and each satellite accommodates only a few dozen transponders. Multibeam payloads and frequency reuse are the concepts the next generation communication systems use to palliate these shortcomings. This paper describes the technology developed at TRW to enable broadband communication payloads at C- and Ku-band frequencies: the large deployable antennas and the payload architecture and components introduced by the Gen*Star program.