Thales

Centre National Detudes Spatiales

Ludovic Schreider

Serge Depeyre

Jérôme Brossier

Yannick Baudasse

Stéphane Vezain

Pierre Bosshard

Philippe Voisin

Philippe Lepeltier

Olivier Maillet

Leri Datashvili

Jean-Philippe Taisant

Eric Desrousseaux

Isabelle Faro

Victorien Belloeil

Laurent Cadiergues

Nicolas Dando

A VHTS or HTS multibeam telecommunications payload includes a first multibeam antenna system with passive antennas, which is configured to receive from and transmit to spots of access stations GW respectively in a first satellite receive Rx band and a first satellite transmit Tx band, and a second multibeam antenna system with passive antennas, which is configured to receive from and transmit to a user coverage zone respectively in a second satellite receive Rx band and a second satellite transmit Tx band, by generating multiple satellite receive user spots and multiple satellite transmit user spots. The payload is wherein it comprises a digital core, based on a digital transparent processor DTP offering total connectivity and total flexibility of allocation of frequency slots to the access station and user spots, and associated with the DTP an RF switching set, made up of one or more matrices of RF switches on source accesses of user spots in satellite transmit Tx only or in satellite transmit Tx and in satellite receive Rx so as to implement operation by beam hopping on clusters Gj/G'j of Tx and/or Rx user spots for which the number of spots Rj/R&#x2032;j is less than or equal to the total number P of access station spots.

Flexible payload architecture for VHTS and HTS applications

A method is provided which includes: defining at least one radiofrequency performance objective to be produced on a selected coverage area on the ground; producing a rigid shell having a predefined profile; producing a reflecting flexible membrane; determining, by successive iterations, N optimum local deformations to be applied at N different points of the flexible membrane; producing N rigid supporting bars of different lengths corresponding to the optimum local deformations to be applied to the flexible membrane; and positioning and rigidly fixing the flexible membrane onto the rigid shell via the N supporting bars.

Method for manufacturing an antenna reflector with shaped surface, reflector with shaped surface obtained by this method and antenna comprising such a reflector

The present invention relates to an in-service reconfigurable antenna reflector comprising a rigid support and a membrane, deformable and having radio-electric reflectivity properties. According to the invention, the reflector comprises a plurality of coupling means connecting the rigid support and the membrane, comprising a first link of finger ball joint type connected to the rigid support, and a second link of finger ball joint type connected to the membrane. Each coupling means furthermore comprises a linear actuator, comprising a rotary motor and a screw-nut assembly, connected to the two links of finger ball joint type, and able to generate, in an operational configuration, a translational motion allowing the deformation of the membrane.

In-service reconfigurable antenna reflector

A multiple-reflector antenna for telecommunications satellites including a shaft, to which are attached at least two sub-reflectors, rotating in relation to a load-bearing structure, and a motor including a rotor able to drive the shaft in rotation, and a stator attached to the load-bearing structure, wherein the multiple-reflector antenna also includes two bearings enabling the shaft to rotate in relation to the load-bearing structure, a torsionally rigid mechanical filter placed between the shaft and the rotor, enabling the rotor to transmit the rotational movement to the shaft, and able to dampen the stresses generated by the shaft on the motor, and locking means able to hold the angular position of the shaft in relation to the load-bearing structure.

Multiple-reflector antenna for telecommunications satellites

The invention is situated in the field of telecommunication satellites. A deployable structure with which such a satellite may be equipped and a method of deploying the deployable structure is provided. The deployable structure includes: a set of primary panels, a set of secondary panels, primary articulation systems, each primary articulation system enabling a primary panel to be caused to pivot relative to another primary panel about a primary axis, the primary axes being substantially parallel to the primary panels, and secondary articulation systems, each secondary articulation system being associated with a secondary panel and enabling said panel to be caused to pivot relative to another panel about a secondary axis parallel to said panels, the deployable structure being configured in such a manner that, in a deployed configuration, the front surfaces of the panels form a substantially continuous overall surface.

Large rigid deployable structures and method of deploying and locking such structures

An antenna including a reflector with coverage and frequency flexibility is provided. The antenna comprises a reversible reflector having two separate reflecting surfaces shaped geometrically so as to cover respectively a first and a second geographical zone which are different and have predetermined shapes, in which the two reflecting surfaces are fastened back to back on a common support, and at least two independent sources arranged in a fixed configuration and connected to separate radiofrequency supply chains defining different and predefined operating frequency planes, the reflector having a first deployment position, in which the focal point of the first reflecting surface is located at the phase center of the first source, and a second deployment position, in which the focal point of the second reflecting surface is located at the phase center of the second source. Application notably to the field of satellite telecommunication antennae.

Antenna having a reflector with coverage and frequency flexibility and satellite comprising such an antenna

Growing community of inventors

Toulouse, France

Ludovic Schreider