The SSPA 8.4-8.6-30 from Aethercomm is a Space-Qualified Solid-State Power Amplifier that operates in the X-band from 8.4 to 8.6 GHz. It delivers a linear output power of more than 30 W with a power-added efficiency of more than 25%. The amplifier is based on GaN technology and offers good linearity when used with OQPSK modulation. It includes features such as reverse polarity protection, output short and open circuit protection, voltage and temperature telemetry. This SSPA contains a circulator on the RF output port that provides open/short circuit protection to the high-power GaN devices. It requires a DC supply of 28 V and consumes less than 5.75 A.
The SSPA 8.4-8.6-30 is designed and tested to thrive in space. It is used on a lunar lander spacecraft and launched from a Falcon 9 space vehicle. This SSPA is available in a hermetically-sealed module that measures 5 x 2 x 1 inch with TNC-female connectors. It has been designed with >10 dB of ionization/multi-paction margin.
