Sudhakar Rao

Advanced Antenna Technologies for Satellite Communications Payloads

A review of various antenna technologies suitable for satellite communications and applicable to fixed satellite, broadcast satellite, mobile communications, and personal communications services is presented. Antenna technologies suitable for generating contoured beam and multiple-beam antennas are reviewed. Design considerations for reflector antennas and feed assemblies and antenna performance in terms of coverage gain, sidelobe isolation, and cross-polar isolation are discussed. Current and future technological trends are presented in the above areas.

Antenna applications corner: Potential implications and road mapping of satellite bidirectional S-band antennas in the automotive market

Car radios were introduced for commercial (broadcast) and professional (communications) purposes in the 1920s [1]. This novelty was just one of many innovative technologies and products that were taken into mass production in passenger cars, and vehicles in general, since then [2, 3]. Wireless communications in particular nowadays represent an important business area for the automotive market, for ?infotainment? (information and entertainment), comfort, environ mental, and safety-related services. In the field of connectivity ? and specifically in the context of antennas for wireless functions ? the case of the European satellite technology based on S band is analyzed here. The DVB-SH standard (Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite Handheld [4]) is considered for the forward link, and the ETSI S-MIM standard (S-Band Mobile Interactive Multimedia [5, 6]) is considered for the return link. These standards can provide satellite services for mobile terminals, such as broadcasting of radio, TV, and data by using DVB-SH, and interactive services on the return link by using the ETSI S-MIM.

Editor's introduction [Antenna Applications Corner]

Summary form only given, as follows. With this issue, the Antenna Applications Corner has a change in Associate Editors. Jay Kralovec is leaving the column to assume the position of Electronic Quality Control Manager for the Magazine. Kralovecs contributions as an Associate Editor of the column were greatly appreciated. Nuria Llombart, who is introduced at the end of this column, joins Sudhakar Rao as Associate Editor for the column. The Antenna Applications Corner is focused on publishing technical contributions related to the design, development, manufacturing, integration, and/or testing of antenna components and systems for ground, aircraft, and spacecraft applications, with preference given to antenna hardware. Authors interested in submitting articles for this corner are encouraged to contact the Associate Editors.

A Design of an Origami Reconfigurable QHA with a Foldable Reflector [Antenna Applications Corner]

This article presents a design of an origami reconfigurable circularly polarized quadrifilar helical antenna (QHA) with a foldable reflector that can operate in K, Ka, and extremely high-frequency (EHF) bands. A 10:1 scale prototype of the proposed antenna is built and validated through measurements and simulations.

An Overview of the Industry Initiatives Committee [Report of the Industry Initiatives Committee]

The Industry Initiatives Committee (IIC) is a standing committee of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society. The Industry Initiatives Committee was formed in early 2010 as an ad hoc committee, with the vision and initiative of Prof. Robert Nevels, who was also the past President of the IEEE AP-S. During the early stages, Dr. Charles Rhodes provided the advice and support needed in the growth of the Industry Initiatives Committee. There were initially four members, and it has now 12 members from the international community of the Society. The Industry Initiatives Committee was approved as a standing committee of AP-S during the AdCom meeting in February 2012. The Industry Initiatives Committee is chaired by Dr. Sudhakar Rao, and has the fol lowing members: ? Sudhakar Rao, Northrop Grumman, USA (Chair) ? Isamu Chiba, MELCO, Japan ? Jay Guo, CSIRO, Australia ? Robert Hoferer, GD Satcom, USA ? Jay Kralovec, Harris, USA ? Nuria Llombart, Delft Technical University, The Netherlands ? Peter de Maagt, European Space Agency, The Netherlands ? Tom Milligan, Consultant, USA ? Aldo Petosa, Communications Research Corporation, Canada ? Charles Rhodes, Raytheon, USA ? Michael Shields, MIT Lincoln Labs, USA ? Hema Singh, National Aerospace Labs, India