Speaker: Dr. Sudhakar Rao, Technical Fellow, Northrop Grumman and IEEE APS Distinguished Lecturer

Title: Antenna Systems for Satellite Communication Payloads

Abstract:
This talk will cover recent developments in the areas of antenna systems for FSS, BSS, PCS, & MSS satellite communications.   Advanced   antenna   system   designs   for   contoured   beams,   multiple   beams,   and reconfigurable beams will be presented. Contoured beam antennas using dual-gridded reflectors, shaped single reflectors, and shaped Gregorian reflectors will discussed. The figure of merit of these antennas using gain-area-product (GAP) will be addressed. Multiple beam antenna (MBA) concepts and their advantages compared to conventional contoured beams will be introduced. Various designs of the MBA for DBS, PCS, and MSS services will be discussed along with practical examples. Recent advances in feed technology and reflector  technology  will  be  addressed  and  few  examples.  Advances  in  multi-band  antennas  covering multiple bands will be presented. Reconfigurable antennas, phased array systems, and lens antennas will be discussed. Topics such as antenna designs for high capacity satellites, large deployable mesh reflector designs, low PIM designs, and power handling issues will be included. Introduction to remote sensing antennas with examples will be included in the talk. Advanced high power test methods for the satellite payloads will be addressed. Brief introductions to TT&C antennas, passive inter modulation products (PIM) and multipaction for satellite payloads will be given. Antenna test ranges and software tools required for test and design of 21st century satellite antennas will be presented. Future trends in the satellite antennas will be discussed.

Speaker Bio:
Sudhakar K. Rao received B.Tech degree in electronics andd communications from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Warangal in 1974, M.Tech in radar systems engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1976, and Ph. D in electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 1980. He worked as a technical officer at Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad,  as  a  senior  scientist  in  the  Electronics  and  Radar  Development Establishment, Bangalore, as a post-doctoral fellow at University of Trondheim, Norway, as a research associate at University of Manitoba, as staff scientist at Spar Aerospace Limited, Montreal, Canada, and as chief scientist/technical fellow at Boeing Satellite Systems, as a corporate senior fellow at Lockheed Martin Space Systems. He is currently a technical fellow at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, CA working on advanced antenna systems for space and aircraft applications. He authored over 160 technical papers and has 41 U.S. patents. He co-edited three text book volumes of
Handbook of Reflector Antennas and Feed Systems that were published in June 2013 by the Artech House.

Dr. Rao became an IEEE Fellow in 2006 and a fellow of IETE in 2009. He received several awards and recognitions that include 2002 Boeing’s Special Invention Award for a series of patents on satellite antenna payloads, 2003 Boeings’ Technical Achievement Award, Lockheed Martin’s Inventor of Technology Award in 2005 and 2007, IEEE Benjamin Franklin Key Award in 2006, Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year Award in 2008, and Asian American Engineer of the Year Award in 2008. He received the IEEE Judith Resnik Technical Field Award in 2009 for pioneering work in aerospace engineering.

Sponsored by the Electromagnetics TIA, School of ECE, Georgia Tech
Co-Sponsored by the IEEE AP/MTT Chapter, Atlanta
Food and refreshments available after the seminar.