SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The objective of Phase I is to determine an optimal antenna array design and frequency band of operation to achieve reliable communication in the presence of plasma from glide body separation to terminal phase. Candidate designs will be identified and analyzed in Phase I and will be prototyped and tested in Phase II. Exo-Atmospheric Technologies will develop a simple, lightweight Deployable Hypersonic Antenna Assembly (DHAA) for use on the aft plane of a hypersonic glide vehicle. The basic antenna element will be a rod-shaped monopole antenna made of an advanced material that can be extended into (and retracted from) the aft-side wake, to enable RF communication in the direction perpendicular to the vehicle axis, to ground or space assets. The Phase I effort will use simulation tools to design the high-temperature antenna element material structure, model plasma and thermal distributions during glide vehicle flight regimes, and finally to predict far-field antenna performance for various antenna array configurations and operating frequency bands. The antenna itself is composed of an additively-manufactured material that possesses excellent thermal shock characteristics while at the same time possessing a high melting point. Additionally, the deployment mechanism is robust, reliable, and mechanically simple to operate.
