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Design, Integration, and Deployment of the TerreStar 18-meter Reflector
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2010
Year
Unknown Venue
EngineeringTerrestar-1 SpacecraftSatellite CommunicationSpacecraft NetworksJuly 1Electromagnetic CompatibilityTerrestar 18-Meter ReflectorSatellite InstrumentationCubesatsInstrumentationReflectanceGraded-reflectivity MirrorsSpace CommunicationSatellite NetworkGeostationary OrbitAntenna TestingAntennaSpace CommunicationsRadio TelescopeHarris CorporationSatellite Navigation SystemsRadarSmall SatellitesSmall SatelliteAerospace EngineeringRemote Sensing
Abstract The TerreStar-1 spacecraft, designed and manufactured by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), is the world's largest commercial satellite and will provide mobile data and voice communications throughout the U.S. and Canada. It communicates with very small earth terminals such as handheld PDA size cellular phones. It therefore must generate a high power flux density on the ground for a high quality link to be established, and achieve very high antenna gain to receive uplink signals. TerreStar-1 provides these capabilities by a combination of high power amplifiers and a large 18-meter aperture reflector designed and manufactured by Harris Corporation. TerreStar-1 was launched on July 1, 2009 and the 18meter unfurlable reflector was successfully deployed on July 14, 2009. In-orbit testing confirms that the deployed antenna system functions as designed, and meets all communications performance requirements.