Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SPACEBEAM (SPACE SAR system with integrated photonic BEAMforming)
Période du rapport: 2020-01-01 au 2021-06-30
SPACEBEAM aims at designing, realizing and testing an innovative radar receiver that will enable the concept of reconfigurable multi-beam Scan-on-Receive Synthetic Aperture Radar for Earth observation applications. In order to comply with the requirements of future swarms and constellations of low-Earth orbit satellites and cubesats in terms of performance, size, weight, power consumption and cost, the envisioned receiver will be based on an optical beamforming network realized as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). The PIC will implement a precise, continuous beamforming of wideband signals (up to 600 MHz) from an array of 12 antenna elements into 3 beams of 4 antennas each, with the capability to flexibly change the set of antennas per beam, as well as the number of output beams (from 3 beams of 4 antennas each, to 2 of 6, to 1 of 12). At the same time, the PIC will also realize a frequency-agnostic photonic down-conversion of signals in the range from 5 to 40 GHz, down to 1.5 GHz, so that the output signals can be directly digitized. These innovative features make the SPACEBEAM PIC a powerful device for future Earth observation applications. The PIC will be implemented using two materials platforms, to achieve a compact “hybrid” chip-assembly including several active and passive functions (lasers, detectors, modulators, filters, switches, delays, phase shifters). The PIC will be controlled using a novel actuation technique based on low-power consuming piezo elements. In order to push forward the maturity of the SPACEBEAM technology (target TRL 6), the project will also develop and test a Space-compliant package for the PIC. The packaged PIC will be included in a specifically designed Engineering Model of the multi-beam SCORE-SAR sensor, to properly test the performance of the entire system. The photonics-based SCORE SAR system will therefore show more functionalities, better performance, and lower size, weight, and power consumption than the current systems.
The SPACEBEAM consortium includes the complete supply-chain to develop, manufacture, test and qualify this novel SAR platform. Its expertise ranges from the satellite (OHB) and equipment (AS) system level, to Space-compliant testing (AFW), design and development of microwave-photonic sub-systems (SSSA), PIC manufacturing & assembly (LXI), and related packaging (TYN).
The SPACEBEAM consortium includes the complete supply-chain to develop, manufacture, test and qualify this novel SAR platform. Its expertise ranges from the satellite (OHB) and equipment (AS) system level, to Space-compliant testing (AFW), design and development of microwave-photonic sub-systems (SSSA), PIC manufacturing & assembly (LXI), and related packaging (TYN).
The first half of the project has been characterized by several technical discussions aimed at fixing doubts and solving issues due to interfacing the activities of different partners, clarifying the development plan of the project, and designing the first version of the hybrid PIC, while anticipating the design of the package for the second version of the system.
These discussions demonstrate the commitment of all the Consortium in reaching the final goals of the project, which is more than “just” following the list of activities in the DoA and providing the expected documentation.
The initial discussions and design activities have brought to define a new nomenclature for the two system models to be implemented in SPACEBEAM: The first model is now called Functional Model (FuMo), while the second model is called Elegant Breadboard (EBB). These two terms simply substitute the previous definitions (BBM and EQM) which could have been misleading. Moreover, the “style” for the two models have been discussed and agreed upon. The first version of the hybrid photonic assembly to be included in the FuMo will serve as an intermediate step for checking design, functionalities and performance before coming to a packaged system in the EBB.
The first version of PICs have been designed and fabricated. They are currently under testing as single chips. They will be integrated soon in the first naked hybrid PIC to be included in the FuMo. Thanks to the accurate design and simulations, the first design is expected to be largely re-used for the second version. If needed, there will be enough time for new designing ad fabrication runs.
Meantime, the design of the packaging for the EBB is already ongoing: the LTCC necessary to interface the hybrid photonic assembly with the package is already advanced designed, and the design of the custom gold box is going to start.
The environmental test plan has been refined with respect to the DoA. Several additional tests will be actually considered, so that the environmental assessment will be much more complete.
The COVID19 outbreak has implied delays in the delivery of the designed PICs. The plan has been updated accordingly. So far, it is expected that the projects activity should end right on time at month 36.
Concerning the general management of the Project, risks are regularly updated and monitored. The dissemination of the SPACEBEAM approach has been realized by publishing few papers that focus on the design only. Since the experimental results are going to come from now on, more publications are expected in the next months. Finally, a relevant dissemination activity has been the recent presentation of the Project to the European Space Agency.
These discussions demonstrate the commitment of all the Consortium in reaching the final goals of the project, which is more than “just” following the list of activities in the DoA and providing the expected documentation.
The initial discussions and design activities have brought to define a new nomenclature for the two system models to be implemented in SPACEBEAM: The first model is now called Functional Model (FuMo), while the second model is called Elegant Breadboard (EBB). These two terms simply substitute the previous definitions (BBM and EQM) which could have been misleading. Moreover, the “style” for the two models have been discussed and agreed upon. The first version of the hybrid photonic assembly to be included in the FuMo will serve as an intermediate step for checking design, functionalities and performance before coming to a packaged system in the EBB.
The first version of PICs have been designed and fabricated. They are currently under testing as single chips. They will be integrated soon in the first naked hybrid PIC to be included in the FuMo. Thanks to the accurate design and simulations, the first design is expected to be largely re-used for the second version. If needed, there will be enough time for new designing ad fabrication runs.
Meantime, the design of the packaging for the EBB is already ongoing: the LTCC necessary to interface the hybrid photonic assembly with the package is already advanced designed, and the design of the custom gold box is going to start.
The environmental test plan has been refined with respect to the DoA. Several additional tests will be actually considered, so that the environmental assessment will be much more complete.
The COVID19 outbreak has implied delays in the delivery of the designed PICs. The plan has been updated accordingly. So far, it is expected that the projects activity should end right on time at month 36.
Concerning the general management of the Project, risks are regularly updated and monitored. The dissemination of the SPACEBEAM approach has been realized by publishing few papers that focus on the design only. Since the experimental results are going to come from now on, more publications are expected in the next months. Finally, a relevant dissemination activity has been the recent presentation of the Project to the European Space Agency.
During the first half of the Project, the activities have focused on the design, and tangible results are not available yet. Nevertheless, the design solutions to the challenges faced in the Project are exploitable results themselves:
• The main goal of the Project, as described in Objective 1 reported in the DoA, has been reached via design and confirmed by simulation, and it is exploitable in the context of Earth Observation.
• The challenge of designing a complex hybrid assembly considering its packaging in a gold box is deriving new design rules to be considered in future designs for complex photonic devices.
• The work on the space compliance of the hybrid photonic circuit (including the design of the assembling procedure and the outcome of the environmental testing) will be exploited in SPACEBEAM and in other projects considering the space application of photonics.
• The main goal of the Project, as described in Objective 1 reported in the DoA, has been reached via design and confirmed by simulation, and it is exploitable in the context of Earth Observation.
• The challenge of designing a complex hybrid assembly considering its packaging in a gold box is deriving new design rules to be considered in future designs for complex photonic devices.
• The work on the space compliance of the hybrid photonic circuit (including the design of the assembling procedure and the outcome of the environmental testing) will be exploited in SPACEBEAM and in other projects considering the space application of photonics.