Vietnam develops self-deploying antenna.

The research on designing and manufacturing an automated antenna system for micro-sized SAR satellites, led by Dr. Doan Thi Ngoc Hien from the Department of Communication Engineering, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, is considered an important step towards mastering core technologies, serving Vietnam's satellite development roadmap until 2030.

Vietnam's satellite development roadmap. Source: Vietnam Space Center.

In the context of increasingly complex climate change, the need for resource and environmental monitoring and disaster warning is becoming more urgent. Earth observation satellite technology, especially Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, is becoming a strategic development direction for many countries. Vietnam is also following this trend.

In Vietnam, the effectiveness of SAR has been proven in many real-world situations. In 2018, the Vietnam Space Center used Sentinel-1 imagery to quickly identify flooded areas in the Mekong Delta, helping localities proactively respond and minimize damage. Recently, with many central provinces continuously experiencing prolonged heavy rains, causing landslides and isolating many residential areas, the need for independent, accurate observational data capable of operating in complex weather conditions has become extremely urgent. This further confirms the important role of developing domestic SAR technology.

Based on this, the Strategy for the Development and Application of Space Science and Technology until 2030 has identified radar remote sensing for resource management, disaster mitigation, and national security and defense as a key objective. Along with achievements such as PicoDragon, NanoDragon, and MicroDragon, Vietnam's research and development of micro-sized SAR satellites is considered appropriate given national resources and in line with global technological trends.

The biggest challenge for small-sized SAR satellites lies in the requirement for large-aperture antennas to achieve high resolution. Traditional SAR systems are typically mounted on satellites weighing over 1,000 kg, costing hundreds of millions of dollars. In recent years, the world has seen the emergence of SAR satellites weighing under 500 kg, such as Capella SAR and NovaSAR-1. Particularly, a new generation of SAR satellites – weighing only 10 to 100 kg – such as ICEYE-X1 and ChibaSat, has opened up a low-cost approach while still ensuring high performance.

According to Dr. Hien, mastering the technology of automatically deploying antennas is crucial for developing micro-sized SAR satellites. “SAR antennas must have a large aperture, but micro-satellites require very limited size and weight. Foldable antennas that automatically deploy upon entering orbit are the key to solving this problem,” Dr. Hien shared.

Designing an antenna that is both lightweight and mechanically stable, while also being able to deploy automatically in a microgravity environment, is a complex task requiring interdisciplinary knowledge from antennas, mechatronics, and signal processing. The research team approached this using self-deploying antenna technology – a solution being used by many countries to miniaturize SAR satellites during launch while maintaining high performance in orbit.

Besides its scientific value, the research also created a technological process for designing and manufacturing antennas for micro-sized SAR satellites, containing a significant amount of intellectual property and having the potential for transfer to businesses. The products from the mission have potential applications at many organizations such as Viettel , VNPT, Samsung Vietnam, the Vietnam Space Center (VNSC), the Institute of Space Technology, and domestic satellite research and manufacturing facilities.

Dr. Hien believes that the deployed antenna product can be integrated into small satellite projects serving Earth observation, weather forecasting, assessment of land, water, forest, and mineral resources, planning of specialized farming areas, early detection of diseases, atmospheric monitoring, and national defense and security tasks. “Mastering the technology of deployable antennas for micro-sized SAR satellites will not only help Vietnam become more self-reliant in space technology, but also create a foundation for the formation of a small satellite industry to serve socio-economic development,” Dr. Hien emphasized.

With its clear direction, broad application potential, and practical urgency, this research is expected to make a significant contribution to Vietnam's space technology development strategy in the next decade.

Thu Huong

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/viet-nam-phat-trien-anten-tu-dong-trien-khai.html