X- band High Gain Antenna qualified for Mars atmosphere

An antenna for Mars mission has been developed, qualified and accepted. Although EADS-CASA has participated previously in Mars mission this antenna will be the first one that will be used over the Mars surface and in multilayer technology. This will permit to qualify the multilayer technology used broadly by EADS-CASA for this Mars mission. In order to qualify the antenna for this Martian mission, a specific corona test in Martian ambient was included as part of antenna the qualification test campaign. RF results here presented show very good behaviour in terms of matching and radiation performances. The complete system HGAS-EQM, this is HGAG plus the High Gain Antenna, has also passed successfully the HGAS qualification test campaign (RF functional test, Vibration, TVC, External Shock, DHMR...) and it has been delivered to NASA (JPL) on December 2009. The HGAS-FM acceptation test campaign is currently on going and it is foreseen to be delivered to NASA (JPL) on May this year. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) will launch a rover to a single location on Mars at the end of 2011.