Advanced Technological Solutions for X band Earth Observation Systems

The ATOS project will develop and qualify a new generation of X band T/R modules, based on GaN HEMT and SiGe BiCMOS technology, with innovative packaging techniques that minimize the footprint, and will integrate a set of T/R modules in a demonstrator of a high-efficiency densely populated AESA tile to be verified in radiated tests.
Such development will enable future space-borne AESA radars at X band with a significant leap in bandwidth, power density and/or azimuth steering capability with respect to current SAR AESAs developed in Europe, and will also enable or drastically improve compact solutions based on array-fed large unfurlable reflectors on small platforms.
The ATOS project will build or consolidate a fully European supply chain including semiconductor technology providers, SMEs and academia as design centers and test houses, and a large enterprise as integrator of space-grade equipment up to turnkey space systems. The components of such team will broaden the scope of their competences through the project, enabling them to be candidates for future developments in related projects and applications in commercial space as well as institutional programs.
The ATOS advancements achieved will be disseminated to foster initiatives of new mission concepts and business opportunities, specifically but not limited to Earth Observation, for which results of the project may represent a key technology enabler.

Following the canonical lifecycle of an integrated project, the activities addressed by the ATOS consortium were focused on the requirements, specification, design, manufacturing, test and validation of innovative Earth Observation technologies.
In particular ATOS project led to the development and prototyping of a T/R module with beyond state-of-art performances in terms of bandwidth (8-12GHz) and transmitted RF power (>20W).
Its quad multilayer integration and very compact design enables high steering angles, the inclusion of delay lines allows to avoid squinting when scanning the whole bandwidth.
The T/R Module is based on a custom integrated core-chip based on SiGe technology and a custom integrated Single-Chip-Front-End (SCFE) in GaN technology, both developed in the frame of ATOS project.
In the course of the project it has been as well designed an Electronic Front End to host the developed T/R modules: the thermomechanical design of the overall assembly has been validated through the manufacturing and test of a dedicated STM (Structural Thermal Model).
Finally also a wideband (8-12 GHz) radiating panel has been designed and simulated through extensive electromagnetic simulations.

Specific dissemination activities have been carried out, with the publication of the project web site, as well as the presentation of the Project results in international contexts (e.g. European Microwave Week, PIERS, ESA workshop, ...).

On an exploitation perspective, ATOS results could be exploited to enable future missions with these capabilities:
- Possibility to manage wider frequency band (e.g. >> 2GHz @ X band) thus improving detecting capabilities of SAR instrument
- Increase of a factor of 10 the area observed in a single passage
- Enabling applications that require more than a single observation point (e.g. Moving Target Indicator);

Given the promising results coming from the breadboarding activities, after an industrialization phase ATOS building blocks could enable future space-borne AESA radars at X band with a significant leap in bandwidth, power density and/or azimuth steering capability with respect to current SAR AESAs developed in Europe, and will also enable or drastically improve compact solutions based on array-fed large unfurlable reflectors on small platforms.

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ATOS (Advanced Technological Solutions for X band Earth Observation Systems)

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