Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Paul Burlingame

Dean A Paschen

Dan Becker

Gary Rait

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for carrying signals having different frequencies in a space-deployed antenna system. When the antenna system is in a first mode, DC power, command information and RF signals (,) are multiplexed via a multiplexer, (,) propagate along a RF transmission line and (,) are appropriately demultiplexed by a demultiplexer associated with each T/R module. Similarly, when the antenna system is in a second mode, telemetry data and RF signals (,) are multiplexed via a multiplexer, (,) propagate along the RF transmission line and (,) are appropriately demultiplexed by a demultiplexer at a driver stage. By using the RF transmission lines associated with each T/R module to deliver (,) DC power, (,) command data and (,) RF signals in the first mode and to deliver (,) telemetry data and (,) RF signals in the second mode, the DC power and command/telemetry wire harnesses (and their respective conductors) may be eliminated. Thus, the overall weight of the antenna system may be reduced. Furthermore, deployment risks may be reduced. Finally, the overall cost of the antenna system may be reduced.

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La Jolla, CA, United States of America

Paul Burlingame