Ka-band link analysis and Design of a Ka-band antenna for the DLR Weilheim Ground Station Complex.

Kurzfassung

Analyses have shown that there is an increasing interest on Ka-Band usage for satellite missions. In addition to the usage of Ka-Band for a geostationary relay satellite there are already plans to install a Ka-Band terminal on the ISS module Columbus, the European contribution for Human Space Flight. An own Ka-Band antenna at the DLR Ground Station Weilheim will assure for DLR the direct access to satellites using Ka-Band and offers the opportunity to co-operate with international Partners in a worldwide Ka-Band antenna network. One of the responsibilities of German Space Center (DLR) is to provide continuous and reliable high data rate links to/from spacecrafts and the ISS. Since the high data rate communication link is one of the initial requirements of future space missions, the Ka-band was decided to be used in near future for communications to a potential geostationary relay satellite. In addition to the geostationary mission it is envisaged to analyse the Ka-Band usage for potential moon missions. This master thesis is intended to cover the following topics: SmallGEO (and potentially Moon satellite missions) mission description related to Ka-Band usage, project communications requirements, tropospheric effects, link budget, antenna design, price analysis, and some other.