The phenomenal capacity growth in NGSO is driving a surge in satellite communication applications, particularly SATCOM-on-the-Move (SOTM). For NGSO to deliver on its mobility promise, Electronically Steerable Antennas (ESA) must be deployed. As such, there is an increased demand for ESA technology to deliver broadband connectivity on mobile platforms from aircraft, naval vessels, and high-speed trains to the automotive industry.
For example, as the demand for In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) services continues to rise worldwide, so do passengers’ expectations for high performance and uninterrupted connectivity regardless of the duration and location of their flight. To offer consistently high throughput around the world, IFC Service Providers are expanding their service coverage to the NGSO eco-system which requires sophisticated airborne satcom terminals.
To address these markets, Gilat has developed a breakthrough Electronically Steered Antenna (ESA) system for SATCOM-on-the-move connectivity. This ESA system has been proven in flight and has demonstrated remarkable performance. The ESA system is based on Gilat’s innovative Ku & Ka-band active phased array technology.
Gilat’s ESA system architecture is scalable in size and performance to fit various applications on land, sea and air. Gilat’s ESA was proven to meet the requirements of commercial and business aviation.
Gilat’s ESA system was designed for Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS) over both GEO and NGSO constellations. Gilat’s ESA is designed to be compatible across all existing GEO IFC networks while providing best-in-class link performance down to 20-degree elevation. It’s flat design and light weight minimize drag and fuel consumption and the efficient SWaP enables passive cooling and minimal load on aircraft resources. Smart transmission power management guarantees adherence to relevant emission standards.
Gilat’s ESAs are fully integrated across a wide variety of IFC MODMANs, which enables smooth integration with most commercial modems and dual modem support. This facilitates exceptional network flexibility for service providers, integrators and aircraft manufacturers.
Gilat’s ESAs offer dual transmit and dual receive operations which empower GEO/MEO/LEO transitions of various options, including make-before-break and GEO/LEO simultaneous operations achieving the best possible global IFC coverage on GEOs and NGSOs combined. Advanced tracking algorithms and RF design provide for best-in-class elevation and skew compensation, improving antenna performance in real-world conditions.
Key Features and Benefits
Tested on GEO, VHTS and LEO constellations including seamless switchover between GEO and LEO
High RF performance per beam enables GEO operation down to 20-degree elevation
High spectrum – 500MHz/250MHz instantaneous BW per beam, dual beam, more than 2.5Gbps total throughput
Interoperable with GEO and NGSO IFC modems, supports simultaneous GEO/LEO
Reliable, ruggedized, efficient, high performance and built to address commercial aviation quality standards (DO-160)
Ultra-flat antenna design guarantees optimal performance and minimal drag using passive cooling
Extremely reliable, >50,000 flight hours MTBF
Gilat Infographic – ESA Technology
