BLIND: Development of a Special Antenna Array

Together with Joanneum Research and Igaspin GmbH, Prof. Thomas Pany conducts the project on behalf of ESA.

Detailed analyses of navigation signals transmitted by GPS, Galileo, BeiDou or GLONASS are necessary to be able to conduct quality analyses. For this purpose, parabolic antennas can be used. These, however, can only be aimed towards one satellite at a time. As part of the BLIND project, the Professorship of Satellite Navigation develops an antenna array with 40 elements on the basis of software radio technology. While the directivity of this array is similar to that of a parabolic antenna, focusing is done electronically so that all satellites can be covered at the same time.

^{Assembled antenna array (© JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH)}