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IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
Volume 48 Number 7, July 2000

Table of Contents for this issue

Complete paper in PDF format

A Cryogenic K-Band Ground Terminal for NASA'S Direct-Data-Distribution Space Experiment

Robert R. Romanofsky, Senior Member, IEEE Joseph D. Warner, Samuel A. Alterovitz, Member, IEEE Laura Covey, Student Member, IEEE A. Smith, Student Member, IEEE Paul Newman and K. George Duh

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Abstract:

A K-band receiver terminal has been designed for 77-K operation to support the NASA Glenn Research Center's direct-data-distribution (D3) space experiment. The D3 experiment involves a 256-element phased-array antenna, aboard the space shuttle, transmitting dual 622-Mb/s beams to the ground terminal. The beams are left-and right-hand-side circularly polarized for isolation. The terminal consists of a Cassegrain reflector antenna with a corrugated feed horn, a six-pole YBa2Cu 3O7- microstrip bandpass filter, a three-stage InP high electron-mobility transistor monolithic-microwave integrated-circuit amplifier, and a 1-W at 80-K Stirling cycle cryocooler.

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