RF performance of wire mesh used in deployable spacecraft antennas

Summary form only given. The use of graphite structure along with gold-plated molybdenum wire mesh surfaces enables the construction of reliable precision spacecraft antennas that can be stowed in a small volume for launch and then deployed on orbit. The basic shape and stability of the deployed antenna are maintained by the graphite ribs and backup structure while the mesh surface provides a high degree of reflectivity in order to prevent excessive RF system losses due to leakage through the reflector surface. For multichannel communications applications, the generation of passive inter-modulation (PIM) components from the nonlinear mixing of transmitted signals can result in interfering signals in band at the spacecraft receiver frequencies. For such applications the additional requirement is imparted that no significant PIM is generated by the reflector surface including the mesh. Practical precision measurement techniques and antenna storage methods are key for the maintenance and evaluation of mesh surface deployable antennas prior to launch to insure proper performance on orbit.<>