California Institute of Technology

University of California

United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Nacer Chahat

Adrian Tang

Jonathan Sauder

Goutam Chattopadhyay

Emmanuel Decrossas

Mau-Chung Frank Chang

Yanghyo Kim

Manan Arya

Thomas A Cwik

Richard E Hodges

Juan M Mejia-Ariza

Polly Estabrook

Brant T Cook

Ellen Thiel

Mark W Thomson

Yahya Rahmat-Samii

Brian Hirsh

A device can be configured as an under-constrained deployable system. Such a system can use under-constrained deployable couplers. A device may include a second segment coupled to the first segment by a high strain structure, wherein the high strain structure is bent to store deployment energy in a stowed configuration. Releasing the stored deployment energy can allow an under-constrained deployable system to transition to an expanded configuration. A tensioning system can transition an under-constrained deployable system to a deployed configuration.

Under-constrained deployable systems and components therefor

A system, apparatus and method are disclosed for communicating between a short range wireless (WLAN) user device, such as a wearable, phone, or tablet, with a base station. Traditional low power communication (e.g., WLAN, WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular links, etc.) involve an inefficient amplification process of a signal from the WLAN user to the base station, whereby significant power must be expended in the WLAN user device making it unsuitable in many applications. A reflector link paradigm is disclosed in which the user device communicates by modulating the extent of signal reflected back to the base station. An enhanced reflector is also disclosed which overcomes adverse effects of ambient reflections.

Microwave reflector link, and CDMA-spread spectrum reflector apparatus for reduction of unmodulated ambient blockers in reflected data links

An antenna for dual-band or wide-band communication link. The antenna includes a patch array, arranged above a top ground plane, that includes one or more panels, each panel included one or more patch subarrays, and each patch subarray includes single patch elements made from metal. Each patch element includes: a flat rectangular radiation surface element into which a rectangular cutout is formed; an RF power feed point having a cylindrical shape that makes contact to the bottom side of the radiation surface element and feeds through a hole formed in the top ground plane for connection to the RF power; and a structural post having a cylindrical shape that contacts, at one end, the bottom side of the radiation surface element at a region of the radiation surface element where electric surface current is substantially smaller than any other region, and contacts the top ground plane at a second end.

High-efficiency dual-band circularly-polarized antenna for harsh environment for telecommunication

A deployable reflectarray antenna stowable in a 6U CubeSat volume is deployed through tape deployers and quartz cables. The telescoping waveguide is attached to the horn with a threaded insert. The reflectarray antenna has, at 37.75 GHz, a directivity of 48.5 dBi, a gain of 47.8 dBi, and an aperture efficiency of 42%. Hinges with a ball-end screw enable precise control of deployment angle of adjacent panels in the reflectarray antenna.

Deployable reflectarray antenna

A deployable antenna is described. The antenna comprises a mesh attached to foldable ribs, a hub and a sub-reflector. The antenna can be stowed in a tight space for launching in space, and later deployed by extending out of its container. The antenna is designed to work in the Ka band or other bands and can increase data rates and function as a radio antenna.

Parabolic deployable antenna

A system, method, device, and apparatus provide a dielectric waveguide splitter/bi-directional link. A dielectric substrate fabricated into a first Y-junction waveguide with a first port splitting into a first branch leading to a second port and a second branch leading to a third port. An angle between the first branch and the second branch is below ninety degrees (90&#xb0;). The dielectric waveguide splitter enables millimeter-wave (mmWave) transmission between the first port and the second port while reducing feedback of the mmWave between the second and third port. Two Y-junction waveguides may be fabricated back-to-back to provide simultaneous bidirectional mmWave transmission at a single frequency.

Dielectric waveguides splitter and hybrid/isolator for bidirectional link

A lens for interconnecting a metallic waveguide with a dielectric waveguide is provided. The lens may be coupled a metallic waveguide and a dielectric waveguide, and minimize a signal loss between the metallic waveguide and the dielectric waveguide.

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Nacer Chahat