Space Antenna Handbook

Preface

Due to the special environment of space and the launch vehicle dynamics to get there, spacecraft antenna requirements and design are quite different from those of terrestrial antennas. There are few books focusing on the special needs of space antennas. One such work is Spaceborne Antennas for Planetary Exploration (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006), which covers the work from JPL/NASA only. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive book which presents an up-to-date development of space antennas from leading engineers around the world.

This book addresses a broad range of topics on antennas for space applications. The aim of the book is two-fold. First, it introduces the reader to the fundamental methodologies of space antenna design, modeling, and analysis along with the state of the art and future technological developments. Each of the topics is specialized and contextualized to the space sector. Furthermore, case studies are provided in chapters to demonstrate how to design and implement antennas in practical scenarios. Next, the book presents a detailed review of antenna designs for some popular applications such as satellite communications, spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR), global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, radio astronomy, small satellites, and deep space applications.

Since the book covers such a wide range of topics, from basic principles to technologies and practical case studies, it is suitable for a wide range of audiences including ...