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NASA has developed and tested a 3D printed antenna to demonstrate a low-cost solution for transmitting scientific data back to Earth. Flight tested using an atmospheric weather balloon, this antenna could pave the way for using 3D printing as a cost-effective development solution for the growing number of science and exploration missions.
Impression 3D
The bulk of the 3D printed antenna is made from a tunable, low electrical resistance ceramic-filled polymer material. For this demonstration, engineers from Near Space Network from NASA designed and built a 3D printed antenna, tested it with the network’s relay satellites, then flew it aboard a weather balloon.
Using a printer provided by Fortify, the team was able to control several electromagnetic and mechanical properties, which is not possible with standard 3D printing processes. Once the printer was acquired, this technology allowed the team to design and print an antenna for the balloon in just a few hours, including using one of several conductive ink printers to produce the conductive part of the balloon. ‘antenna.
The team designed and built a 3D printed magnetoelectric dipole antenna and flight tested it using a weather balloon. A dipole antenna, commonly used in radio and telecommunications, is made up of two “poles” that create a radiation pattern similar to the shape of a donut.
Tests
This antenna, the result of a collaboration between engineers from Scientific Balloon Program of NASA and the program Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN), was designed to demonstrate low-cost design and manufacturing capabilities.
After manufacturing, the antenna was assembled and tested at Goddard Space Flight Center at NASA, Greenbelt, Maryland, in an electromagnetic anechoic chamber.
The anechoic chamber, the quietest room at the Goddard Center, is a protected space designed to block external electromagnetic waves and reduce their emission to the outside world. It eliminates echoes and reflections of electromagnetic waves in order to simulate the relative calm of space.
To prepare for the tests, NASA intern Alex Moricette installed the antenna on the anechoic chamber mast. The team used the chamber to evaluate the antenna’s performance in a space-simulating environment and ensure it was functioning properly.
-Once testing was completed, specialist antenna engineers conducted final field tests prior to launch from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility of NASA, in Palestine, Texas.
The team coordinated connections with the relay fleet of the Near Space Network in order to test the ability of the 3D printed antenna to transmit and receive data.
Performance was monitored by sending signals between the 3D printed antenna and the balloon’s standard communications system, a typical satellite antenna. Both antennas were tested at different angles and at different altitudes. By comparing the 3D printed antenna to the standard antenna, the team established a baseline for optimal performance.
In vol
During the flight, the weather balloon equipped with the 3D printed antenna was subjected to environmental survival tests at 30,000 meters altitude and then safely recovered.
For decades, the Scientific Balloon Program of NASA, managed by the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, uses balloons to carry scientific payloads into the atmosphere. Weather balloons carry instruments that measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction. The collected information is transmitted to a ground station for use in missions.
This demonstration confirmed the results expected by the team: thanks to the rapid prototyping and production capabilities of 3D printing, NASA can design and manufacture high-performance communications antennas, adapted to mission specifications, faster than ever .
Integrating these modern technological advances is essential for NASA to reduce costs of existing platforms and facilitate future missions.
The Near Space Network is funded by the program office Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The network is operated from Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA, in Greenbelt, Maryland.
