Design Optimization of a Satellite Communication Terminal: Analyzing SATCOM performance on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

We developed an integrated methodology for analyzing airborne satellite communication (SATCOM) terminal performance as a function of antenna and radome design as well as operational parameters of the aircraft. We used this multidisciplinary model for simultaneous design of antenna and radome with the goal of minimizing electromagnetic loss due to the radome. Optimal design for electromagnetic performance was obtained, and tradeoffs between electromagnetic performance and radome weight were explored. The problem was found to be highly suitable for gradient-based optimization due to the continuous and well-behaved nature of the objective function and its derivatives.