The European Space Agency has signed a 1.2-million-euro agreement with Antennex for the development of a next-generation reverberation chamber. Supported by ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (Artes) Competitiveness & Growth program, the Eindhoven-based company will design and construct a new, bigger chamber fit for the needs of the aerospace industry. The 2-year contract includes the development of a functionality that enables spatial measurements of integrated antennas.
The increased volume of the chamber supports the testing of larger devices, such as satcom terminals and modules for satellites. It will also allow Antennex to measure in the L- and S-band frequencies, while maintaining its capability in the Ku and Ka bands. “By introducing a larger testing chamber, we’re positioned to better serve the aerospace sector’s accelerating growth and demand for high-precision OTA RF measurement,” comments CEO Anouk Hubrechsen of the Eindhoven University of Technology spinoff.
“This project with Antennex strengthens Europe’s testing capabilities for next-generation satcom,” says David Gomez Otero, head of the Space Segment Section within ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications. “By developing a larger reverberation chamber with spatial measurement functionality, we’re enabling the precise characterization of integrated antennas across multiple frequency bands.”
