Geodesic Dome
Phased Array Antenna
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Ball Aerospace and its industry partners designed the GDPAA
Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) in support of
the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) vision of an
integrated satellite control network. Built upon Ball Phased
Array for Telemetry, Tracking and Command heritage, the
GDPAA-ATD is jointly sponsored by the Air Force Space and
Missile Systems Center and Air Force Research Laboratory
Sensors Directorate. Under the ATD contract, Ball developed,
integrated and demonstrated technologies required to
validate the GDPAA concept.
Agility to innovate. Strength to deliver.
Ball delivered the ATD hardware to Schriever Air Force
Base and validated the GDPAA concept of using a
geodesic dome phased array antenna for groundbased satellite communication links.
GDPAA 3 Generation
rd
The ATD multi-beam, phased array technology
provides more flexible and reliable satellite
telemetry, tracking and command capabilities,
and communications for the Air Force. The AFSCN
provides global support for operational space
systems and research, development, test and
evaluation. AFSCN also provides highly reliable,
integrated command and control, communications
and sensor systems to support the national space
launch, surveillance, navigation, communications
and weather satellite operations. The phased array
technology enhances responsiveness by improving
operational utility including multiple simultaneous
contacts, gain on demand, reduced operator load,
graceful degradation, hot maintenance and
electronic scan. The ATD is adaptable to new Satellite
Operations concepts.
The ATD demonstration achievements include:
passive “shadow” supports; ‘Slave’ bus and open
loop pointing; beam walking with and without
beam conflict; beam arbitration; reporting status of
operational system; and concurrent maintenance.
During the ATD demonstration six opportunities were
presented to support multiple contacts to various
vehicles and the bore site tower.
The ATD demonstrated increased availability,
capacity, flexibility and feasibility of the full-size
GDPAA for a common antenna network for satellite
operations. Full-scale GDPAA enhancements include:
• Four simultaneous, full-duplex beams for satellite
command and control
• Geodesic shape enables beams to be pointed in
any direction in milliseconds
• Distributed elements and components meaning
graceful degradation
• Modules or components can be replaced
while operational
• SGLS and USB capability for support at GPS,
NDS, NASA/NOAA, and other agencies with spacedbased assets
• Interoperable with U.S. Air Force (USAF) Remote
Tracking Station Block Change (RBC) investment
Ball integrated T/R modules and subarrays into the
ATD structure to facilitate the network interfaces and
guide the system level design. The ATD effort can be
leveraged to augment single-beam systems using the
GDPAA system. Additional promising applications for
this technology include transportable, x-band radar,
and multi-band phased array derivatives.
The GDPAA ATD test antenna supports multiple
satellites from a single site. Antenna configuration is a
full dome scalable sector.
The GDPAA ATD continues the Ball legacy of previous
phased array architecture on such programs as the
multi-user ground system and the Wallops Island
Phased-Array Antenna for Telemetry (PAT), Tracking
and Command demonstration.
PAT 1st Generation
The USAF, through the Air Force Research Lab and the
Space Battlelab, awarded Ball a PAT contract to deliver
a new antenna technology to significantly improve
the ability to meet current and future requirements
through its innovative phased array concept.
The demonstration of the phased array utility for
the satellite control
was held at Wallops
Island in August 2004.
Using USB (NASA) and
SGLS (DoD) links, the
antenna steered four
independent beams,
two of which were
transmitting and two
which were receiving.
MUGS 2nd Generation
The PAT array was on loan from The U.S. Air Force to
the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Battle Lab
for the Multi-Use Ground Station (MUGS) program
until mid 2008. Ball was the antenna integrator and
provided satellite test support. The MUGS program
is a prototype mobile ground station and command,
control and communications test bed. The PAT array
ties directly into the Virtual Mission Operations Center.
Ball phased array targets tactical satellite control.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. • 1600 Commerce St. • Boulder, CO 80301 • 303-939-6100 • Fax: 303-939-6104
[email protected] • www.ballaerospace.com
01/14 D1692