Leading satellite communication technologies expert, Atlantic Microwave, has completed the maiden flight of its DSS Satellite Simulator product on board an eight rotor drone. Not only is this a first ever airborne Satellite Simulator but it is the first time that an unmanned aerial vehicle has been deployed for such a task.
Off-air testing of ground and vehicle based satellite communications systems has developed into a major industry need with the current explosion of SATCOM applications in multiple industries.
Satcom systems cannot just switch on and hope for the best. The potential to upset fellow satellite users is both risky and expensive and Atlantic’s Satellite Simulator and Test Loop Translators have been saving the day for satcom operators worldwide in recent years. Drones, similarly, have been taking the world by storm with uplifting applications both professional and amateur. By combining these two solutions, Atlantic Microwave has provided a service to customers which is currently unrivaled.
While the first flight, which has taken place in Denmark, used frequencies in the Ku band for ‘proof of concept’, Atlantic is also offering similar payloads in Ka band, which delivers greater bandwidth as well as X band for Defence as well as the future Q and V band operations.
Atlantic Microwave, based in Braintree, U.K. has established itself as the global leader in satellite simulation with its antenna and cabled-in based products, which have now been supplied to major satcom operators, integrators and manufacturers on all continents.
