A surface distortion analysis applied to the hoop/column deployable mesh reflector antenna

A practical approach is demonstrated for the deterministic analysis of surface distortions in reflector antennas, based on a first-order approximation to the aperture field phase. Measured pattern results from the 15-m-diameter hoop/column deployable mesh reflector antenna are used to demonstrate the accuracy which can be obtained with this surface distortion analysis. The only practical limitation of the first-order approximation is determined by the slope derivations of the distorted surface from the best-fit paraboloid.<
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