X-band, 17 Watt, solid-state power amplifier for space applications

A new 17-Watt, 8.4 GHz, solid state power amplifier (SSPA) has been developed for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Exploration Rover mission. The SSPA consists of a power amplifier microwave module and a highly efficient DC-DC power converter module integrated into a compact package that can be installed near the spacecraft antenna to minimize downlink transmission loss. The SSPA output power is 17 Watts nominal with an input DC power of 59 Watts and nominal input signal of +1 dBm. The unit is qualified to operate over a temperature range of -40/spl deg/C to +70/spl deg/C in vacuum or Martian atmosphere.