TNO RF Technology for Space

TNO has a long heritage in the research and development of radio frequency (RF) and microwave technology for phased array systems, ranging from high-level system design to hardware design, including integrated circuits and antennas. Customers include the Dutch ministries, the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Innovative RF technology solutions are developed to tackle the key challenges posed by future space missions, particularly for Satellite Communication and Earth Observation. For this, TNO works in close co-operation with large space system integrators, and collaborates with other Dutch research institutes and industry. In this article a number of such developments, some performed for ESA, are presented, with recent project examples covering antenna design, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) design and RF module design.