For Official Use Only (FOUO)

USAFA-0602
USAFA-0602
W-Band Beacon
(WBB)
DoD Space Experiments Review Board (SERB)
November 2006
C1C Robert Bethancourt
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mark Czerwinski MIT/LL
Prof. William Saylor USAFA
719 333 6659
william.saylor.ctr@usafa.af.mil
Sponsor: USAFA
Distribution Statement D: "Distribution to US Government Agencies and Authorized DoD Contractors only; Administrative or
Operational Use; 11 October 2005. Other Requests for this document shall be referred to the PI.

2006 DoD SERB

For Official Use Only (FOUO)

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Background

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

HUSIR: Haystack Ultra-wideband Satellite Imaging Radar

Upgrade is a joint AF & DARPA Project

HUSIR Objectives
Develop and demonstrate a groundbased wide-band radar system for
timely on-demand imaging of small
satellites in LEO and deep space
orbits

Input to atmospheric models

Atmospheric distortion of Wband signals causes image
degradation

HUSIR
HUSIRprovides
providesorder
orderof
ofmagnitude
magnitude
improvement
improvementin
inimaging
imagingresolution
resolution

Haystack X-Band

HUSIR W-Band

9.5-10.5 GHz

92-100 GHz

Simultaneous WBB and Radar

Imagery
W-Band beacon (1-way)
coupled with radar data (2-way)
will give us atmospheric truth
to optimize algorithms &
atmospheric model

2006 DoD SERB

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Mission / Science Overview
Small satellite with Wband transmitter
payload for atmospheric
Simultaneous imaging of
characterization
small satellite for
Thermal noise only
improving signal
processing algorithms

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center
Simulation
using compact
range data and
W-band
atmospheric
phase data

WBB
experiment
Phase error applied

Operational
satellite
imaging

Autofocused

Problem: W-band radiation significantly affected by atmosphere

2006 DoD
SERB
Solution: WBB experiment
will
characterize atmospheric
distortions and improve signal processing

WBB (USAFA-0602)
W-Band Beacon Concept

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

Objective :

Characterize the effect of atmospheric

distortion on signal propagation.

Improve signal processing algorithms

Simultaneously image small satellite

Post-pass spacecraft attitude data will

also be used to verify HUSIR response.

Simple EHF hemispherical antenna

Previous Priority:
10 of 16: 2006 Air Force SERB

2006 DoD SERB

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Technology & Development
WBB design completed

45 GHz Antenna Prototype

0.12
Radiating
Aperture

0.44

Prior laboratory design

Implemented at 41 47 GHz
Frequency scale to 95 GHz ( =
0.124)
Lightweight, ~ 7 grams for antenna
Simple interface to spacecraft processor
Size, weight, power order of magnitude
less than current instrument designs.
Power (dB)

Input
Section

WBB heritage

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

J.C. Lee, A simple EHF hemispheric

coverage antenna, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Technical Report 1001, 8 August 1994

2 dB

90
Angle (deg)

Demonstration of existing antenna gain pattern

2006 DoD SERB

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Technology & Development (2)

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

WBB Design Requirements @ 95

GHz

Hardware Status:

Prototype @ 47 GHz built and

tested
Q M built/tested during 06/07
Academic Year
Flight Ready: Sep 2008
FY02

FY03

Frequency stable to within +- 0.125 MHz (1

s) over 100 sec
Phase error < 1 over 100 sec
Antenna gain variation < 0.1 dB (1 ) over
angle seen during 100 sec pass
Antenna phase error < 1 over angle seen
during 100 sec pass

Funding negotiation underway

0.75 / 0.0

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

WBB Funding in $Million

0.0 / 0.0

FY08

0.0 / 0.0

FY09

0.75 / 0.0

TOTAL

USAF

0.00

2.16

7.28

13.96

8.84

6.30

2.12

0.00

40.66

DARPA

0.57

0.00

7.00

11.00

10.00

10.00

4.20

2.00

44.77

HUSIR Funding in $Million

2006 DoD SERB

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Military Relevance

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

WBB enables the development and demonstration of a ground-based W-band

radar system for timely on-demand imaging of small satellites in LEO and
deep space orbits

Space Situational Awareness (SSA)

Derived information

Object size and shape

Orientation and motion
Configuration change detection and assessment
Component characterization

Payload status changes

Failures, separations,
deployments, reactivations
Intelligence preparation of the
battlefield
Launch and operations support

Defensive Counterspace (DCS)

W-Band provides order of magnitude improvement in capability to image small
dimensions
AF requires ability to identify potential attack modes against individual S/C
Radar imaging is frequently the only
timely source of this information
2006 DoD SERB

Militarily Significant Payloads Doing More in

Smaller Packages

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Space
Systems
Research
Center

Satellite Dimension (m)

Imaging Satellite Size Progression

Resolutions < 10 m

SNAP wide FOV Camera

UOSat-12
TUBSAT B
DLR-TUBSAT

SNAP-1 (SSTL)
Mission
Formation Flying
Satellite inspection
Imager
4 CMOS cameras
0.33x0.45x0.5 m
6.5 kg

0.15 m

UOSat-12

DLR-TUBSAT

TUBSAT B

1m

SNAP-1 Image
of Nadezhda
(8 ft range)

0.5 m

2006 DoD SERB

Size of militarily significant payloads

is a driver for HUSIR

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Flight Requirements

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

Need for Spaceflight

Orbital geometry required to provide accurate measurements of atmospheric scintillations and
phase distortions
Small satellite platform can provide known imaging target

Experiment / Flight Data:

Requested STP Services

Physical Data: 3000 cm3, 3 kg,

nominal 3 W
Orbit altitude 500 200 km
Orbit inclination > 400
Attitude knowledge < 10
3-axis control < 100
Small satellite highly preferred
Auxiliary UHF / VHF TX of value
Experiment Retrieval Required: No
Repetitive/incremental step flights: No

Spacecraft/Sensor Integration
Launch vehicle and integration
Operations: satellite data to
Principal Investigator
Minimal commands uploaded
to WBB
0.05 kbps / 200 kb per day
Only normal published S/C
ephemera required.

2006 DoD SERB

WBB (USAFA-0602)
Technology/Data Application Plan

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

Data Use
WBB state-of-health, power draw, operational data, and satellite attitude and position
collected by cadets
Data provided to MIT/LL PI for use with WBB / HUSIR analyses

Outcome of Successful Experiment

Provides MIT/LL with critical beacon for HUSIR development and operational testing
Improved imaging via better understanding of atmospheric phenomena at W band
Measure phase distortion in real-time
Couple with simultaneous HUSIR imaging to develop and validate algorithms

Force Protection
Ability to image small satellites critical to identifying potential threats

Primary data analysis will be complete 12 months after launch

Applicable research category: Advanced Technology Demo

2006 DoD SERB

WBB (USAFA-0602)

Backup slides

2006 DoD SERB

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

Atmospheric Phase Compensation

for HUSIR

Autofocus (phase compensation) techniques will mitigate most of W-band

atmospheric phase error

dB m2

Thermal noise only

Phase error applied

Autofocused

Residual errors
Less than 10 rms result in < -40 dB sidelobes
However, some geometries/phase errors do not autofocus as well

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

W-Band Beacon phase data (using direct path and radar data)
Refine limitations in autofocus technique with real (truth) data
Phase error can be determined separately from autofocus

Assess autofocus performance on a known small satellite

Scatterer locations known

2006 DoD SERB

Simulation using
compact range data and
W-band atmospheric
phase data

Atmospheric Attenuation and HUSIR

Knowledge of path length attenuation important for accurate radar cross section
(RCS) measurement

Oxygen, water vapor, liquid water

HUSIR will have a slaved water-vapor radiometer adjacent to antenna to measure

water content along line of sight

Absolute RCS values used to characterize/differentiate satellites

For image focusing, variable attenuation is less important than phase fluctuations

Atmospheric attenuation consists of several main components

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

Oxygen absorption component can be estimated from temperature and pressure

Measurement of water vapor typically more precise than that of liquid water (rain, clouds,
etc.)
Calculated attenuation will be used to tune radar data

WBB will provide an excellent means to check WVR attenuation estimation method

Like radar, beacon strength sensitive to atmospheric absorption

Other method of validation: sphere (constant cross-section) tracking

2006 DoD SERB

U S A F A
Space
Systems
Research
Center

WBB (USAFA-0602)
W-Band Comparison With Other Radars
Radar

Haystack

HAX

HUSIR

Frequency
(GHz)

10
(X-Band)

16.7
(Ku-Band)

96
(W-Band)

Sensitivity
(dB)

56

36

53

Bandwidth
(GHz)
Resolution
(cm)

25

12

Satellite
Imagery
& Range
Profiles

Near Earth Near Earth

&
Deep Space

2006 DoD SERB

Near Earth &

Deep Space

Need to
image small
satellite with
WBB