SAR - ILC Dover

ILC worked in conjunction with NASA JPL to develop the 1.25 GHz L-Band SAR technology demonstrator with dual linear polarization, 80 MHz Bandwidth and electronic beam scanning for space application. The goal of the program was to determine if a deployable large aperture SAR could be produced with an aerial density of <2Kg/M2. ILC designed a 1/3 scale deployable support structure, assembled the membrane layers and conducted system testing.

The key to achieving the goals of the program was in creating a stable deployable support structure which properly spaced and tensioned the radiating patch, microstrip transmission line, and ground plane membrane layers with high accuracy. Deployment was controlled with embedded mechanisms in the inflatable structure to ensure protection of the membranes from the packed to deployed state.