Alphasat I-XL Spacecraft Deploys Huge Reflector

By Doug Lung
published

Northrup Grumman announced the “AstroMesh Reflector System” made by its Astro Aerospace business unit successfully deployed on the Alphasat I-XL spacecraft.

The Alphasat reflector weighs approximately 135 pounds, but when fully deployed it forms a 45 x 38-foot antenna surface. This large antenna system will allow Alphasat to provide broadband Internet communications to mobile and lap-top size modems throughout its coverage area.

“Astro Aerospace, as a key member of the Inmarsat/Astrium team, has once again delivered and successfully deployed an AstroMesh reflector,” said John A. Alvarz, Astro Aerospace’s general manager. “These reflector systems are selected by premium telecommunication service providers and satellite prime contractors because of the high value they place on mission performance and reliability. AstroMesh is the only deployable mesh reflector on the market today with a 100 percent on-orbit deployment success rate, meaning no failures, incidents or anomalies.”

Northrup Grumman released photos and drawings showing the construction and deployment of the antenna.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.