Bascom Hunter Technologies, Inc. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: N112-170

Description

STtNG is a new U.S. Navy shipboard carry-on unclassified satellite communications terminal that will be capable of operating over non-geostationary satellites. These satellites will include, eventually, proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) systems, such as SpaceX Starlink and Amazon Kuiper, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) systems, such as SES O3b Classic and SES mPOWER, Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) systems, such as Space Norway HEOsat, and inclined Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) systems, such as Inmarsat I5 military-Ka band satellites. STtNG is expected to operate on any U.S. Navy surface ships, can be cross-decked from one surface ship to another and made operational within days. STtNG may also operate at Navy shore facilities. Future versions of STtNG are expected to be used in submarines and on aircraft. STtNG must be capable of both acquiring and maintaining satellite communications links from the decks of Navy surface ships while those ships are in high sea states that produce significant pitching, rolling, and yawing motions of the ship while underway. Based on combining the simultaneous future three-link capability of the Isotropic Ka-band terminal with a single Starlink Ku-band terminal and an Iridium link, one STtNG terminal will be capable of maintaining five simultaneous satellite communications links. The carry-on capability of the STtNG dictates that each STtNG subsystem be of a size and weight that it can be moved by two individuals without the need for motorized or special equipment to transport the terminal subsystems. The design and construction of the STtNG terminal will incorporate graceful degradation as components fail. The Isotropic Systems terminal provides unmatched flexibility for connectivity and communications within the Ka commercial and mil-Ka bands. The Isotropic terminal is a low-profile electrically-steered antenna that leverages a novel RF Lens Array technology for reducing power consumption and enabling multiple simultaneous links to multiple satellites in any orbit. Crucially, enabling a second link does not reduce the performance of the first link, and both links support the same full performance when operated in either single- or dual-link modes. The Isotropic terminal is an integrated SATCOM terminal, with embedded frequency conversion, amplification, power supply, and antenna control unit, and also allows for modems to be field-installed within the terminal to reduce the challenge of wiring and integration during installation and commissioning.