Unfurlable offset antenna design for multipurpose applications

A European aerospace company has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a European technological capability in the area of unfurlable antennas. Such antennas are to be employed by the next generation of ESA communication satellites. The present investigation is concerned with the results obtained during the first phase of the project. During the second phase, the hardware is being developed for the selected concept, and the final design of a Technology Demonstration Model (TDM) of the antenna reflector will be produced. Attention is given to mission examples for large offset deployable antennas, requirements and interfaces for antennas, the unfurlable reflector concepts, a thermo-structural analysis of the two different reflector concepts, and the selection of the optimum concept.