L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has introduced a new, smallsat reflector antenna that will help decrease the size, weight and overall time to produce smallsats. L3Harris will showcase this reflector antenna in booth 601 at the SATELLITE 2020 conference March 9-12 in Washington, D.C.
Lighter and more compact than legacy designs, the new Smallsat Perimeter Truss (SPT) leverages L3Harris’ advanced Perimeter Truss design, while optimizing its mass to make the unit lighter and smaller to package onto small satellites.
Offered in diameters up to four meters, and specifically designed for use on smallsat platforms, the Ka-band SPT is one-third the size and 50 percent the weight of previous designs. When stowed, the reflector is about the size of a commercial office fire extinguisher.
Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris, reported that smallsats are playing a more important role in space and industry must continue to develop ways to make every satellite component smaller and lighter to keep pace with production and mission requirements. L3Harris has done that with the new Smallsat Perimeter Truss — enabling the company to package large high-gain antennas onto smaller satellite platforms.