It has been announced that Saab Ericsson Space AB, Gothenburg, Sweden, has won an order from satellite prime contractor Alcatel Space to supply two 1.1 m Ku-band Gregorian reflector antennas to be mounted on the earth-facing panel of the WORLDSAT-3 (WS-3) satellite. The antennas have heritage from the lightweight all carbon fibre antenna recently delivered for the AMC-9 satellite and also from antennas of the same type for the Sirius 2 and EW4 satellites.
The WS-3 satellite will be operated by SES AMERICOM, for its newly formed subsidiary, WORLDSAT, and will be stationed over the Pacific Ocean. It will have coverage from Western North America to East Asia using transponders at C- and Ku-band. The antennas will be delivered to Alcatel Space in Cannes, France, for use onboard a Spacebus 4000 Satellite.
Commenting on the antenna’s development, Bengt Mörtberg, president and CEO of Saab Ericsson Space, said, “Our antenna products are now reaping the benefits of many years of design and manufacturing technology development. Together with our mother company Saab, we have built a world-class capability in manufacturing high performance carbon fibre structures and antennas.”