![](\"http:\/\/www.esa.int\/var\/esa\/storage\/images\/esa_multimedia\/images\/2016\/11\/large_antenna_deployment\/16525684-9-eng-GB\/Large_antenna_deployment_small.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nA 5 m-diameter antenna, designed for orbital operations, seen after a test deployment. Large reflectors are increasingly required for telecommunications, science and Earth observation missions.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cUp until now, European industry has not been able to field reflectors larger than 4 m in diameter, while the US, Japan and Russia are operating much larger reflectors in orbit,\u201d says ESA\u2019s Jean-Christophe Angevain.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe challenge is to develop a reflector that can easily be stowed within the limited space available inside a launcher fairing and then opened to its full size while remaining sufficiently stable and accurate afterwards to meet strict performance requirements, including the use of high-frequency radio signals.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThis reflector has a \u2018double pantograph\u2019 design to form a deployable ring<\/a>,\u201d adds ESA\u2019s Alexander Ihle. \u201cOnce deployed, it tensions two opposing but connected parabolic nets, one on the top and one on the bottom.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nThe top netting supports and maintains a very finely knitted metallic mesh<\/a> in a predefined shape, recounts Leri Datashvili of the company Large Space Structures GmbH<\/a>: \u201cThis mesh is what will eventually reflect the radio signal \u2013 doing the real work of the reflector.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cCrucially, this design is also scalable, both in terms of the reflector diameter and moving up into higher frequencies,\u201d says ESA\u2019s Julian Santiago-Prowald.\n<\/p>\n \nThe deployment took about seven minutes to unfold automatically into its final configuration<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \nThis reflector was developed as part of an effort addressing a full large deployable antenna system through ESA\u2019s Basic Technology Research Programme (TRP)<\/a>, by a consortium led by HPS GmbH<\/a> in Germany, with Germany\u2019s Large Space Structures being responsible for the reflector and its deployment.\n<\/p>\n \nAnother 5 m reflector also supported through TRP but based on carbon fibre reinforced silicone surface was tested in ESA\u2019s Large Space Simulator thermal\u2013vacuum chamber earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \nA 5 m-diameter antenna, designed for orbital operations, seen after a test deployment. Large reflectors are increasingly required for telecommunications, science and Earth observation missions.\n<\/p>\n \n“Up until now, European industry has not been able to field reflectors larger than 4 m in diameter, while the US, Japan and Russia are operating much larger reflectors in orbit,” says ESA’s Jean-Christophe Angevain.\n<\/p>\n \nThe challenge is to develop a reflector that can easily be stowed within the limited space available inside a launcher fairing and then opened to its full size while remaining sufficiently stable and accurate afterwards to meet strict performance requirements, including the use of high-frequency radio signals.\n<\/p>\n \n“This reflector has a ‘double pantograph’ design to form a deployable ring<\/a>,” adds ESA’s Alexander Ihle. “Once deployed, it tensions two opposing but connected parabolic nets, one on the top and one on the bottom.”\n<\/p>\n \nThe top netting supports and maintains a very finely knitted metallic mesh<\/a> in a predefined shape, recounts Leri Datashvili of the company Large Space Structures GmbH<\/a>: “This mesh is what will eventually reflect the radio signal – doing the real work of the reflector.”\n<\/p>\n \n“Crucially, this design is also scalable, both in terms of the reflector diameter and moving up into higher frequencies,” says ESA’s Julian Santiago-Prowald.\n<\/p>\n \nThe deployment took about seven minutes to unfold automatically into its final configuration<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \nThis reflector was developed as part of an effort addressing a full large deployable antenna system through ESA’s Basic Technology Research Programme (TRP)<\/a>, by a consortium led by HPS GmbH<\/a> in Germany, with Germany’s Large Space Structures being responsible for the reflector and its deployment.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n