The key objective of this activity is the development of a software based on fast source reconstruction for full-satellite antenna measurement diagnostics.

 

Modern space satellites show an increased density of instruments and equipment with a variety of different materials and hence various electromagnetic properties. Whereas the single instruments can usually be well-characterized in the design phase, the complex electromagnetic environment on platform level can usually not be entirely characterized. The trend towards increased frequency sub-millimeter wave instruments further complicates the accurate modelling of the antenna platform. When anomalies during final antenna measurements on spacecraft level occur, it is hence not possible to identify unintended scattering or coupling effects out of the measurement data with reasonable computational demands and in limited time. As these problems usually occur in late project phases close to the proposed launch date of the respective space mission, very fast diagnostic methods are required.

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In this activity, a fast source reconstruction method for very large-scale electromagnetic problems, i.e. sub-millimeter wave full-satellite platform analysis, shall be investigated, developed and software-implemented. Out of measured far-field as well as near-field data, equivalent sources like electric or magnetic surface currents shall be computed, which shall help identifying sources of anomalies at final spacecraft antenna measurements. Although asymptotic assumptions can be considered for sub-millimeter modelling of parts of the spacecraft platform, the method shall capture near-field coupling effects where unneglectable. The software shall be demonstrated with a real large-scale measurement example. ?

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