Beamforming capabilities of array-fed reflector antennas

Array-fed reflector antennas are often used on GEO satellites to realize multiple beams with high gain. However, the directivity of these antennas suffers from relatively high scan loss. By utilizing beamforming, the antenna performance can significantly be improved. This paper addresses some of the beamforming capabilities of array-fed reflector antennas and their influence on the antenna performance. Numerical results supporting the discussed topics are given.