KONGSBERG one of the leading global technology corporations and premier supplier of defense and aerospace-related systems delivering mission-critical solutions has introduced a new Antenna Pointing Mechanism for both LEO data downlink antennas and Inter Satellite Link antennas.
The KARMA-7 FG is a state-of-the-art space-qualified Antenna Pointing System that consists of two main sub-systems, the mechanism with a traditional azimuth over elevation configuration, and the RF system. The RF system consists of the RF feed network (rotary joints and waveguides), and the antenna with the polarizer.
The mechanism is realized using two identical Small Rotary Actuators (SRA) based on the Kongsberg EuroKARMA drive-line. The mechanism has been developed to accept RF sub-systems with single or dual polarization, accommodating either X-band or Ka-band.
The KARMA-7 FG consists of a two-phase bipolar stepper motor and a coverage of ±210° in azimuth and ±90° in elevation. It has a rotational speed capability of 17 Deg/s and a full step resolution of 0.012 Deg. The mechanism has a frequency range of 25.5 to 27 GHz with a system gain of 31 dBi.
The development and qualification of the APM are performed under an ESA GSTP. KARMA-7 was selected for the MetOp-SG Ka-band data downlink. Each of the 6 MetOp-SG satellites carries two APMs, one nominal and one redundant, for a total delivery to MetOp-SG of 12 Flight Models and one spare.
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