Building the Next-Generation Space Antenna (IMAGE)

University of Waterloo

Building the Next-Generation Space Antenna

Caption

A one-of-a-kind communications device developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo is now orbiting the Earth as a central component of a microsatellite launched in Sriharikota, India on Tuesday to test new technologies in space. A compact antenna that can receive ship AIS signals from all directions and in a redundant fashion such that even if half the antenna fails, it will still receive all the AIS signals albeit with a weaker signal strength. As opposed to current simple AIS antennas (think of straight antennas on cars), the M3MSat AIS spiral antenna has also been specifically optimized for horizon-to-horizon coverage without any holes that could prevent some AIS signals from being received.

Credit

Canadian Space Agency

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