Modular Ku/Ka-band actively calibrated antenna tile

This work attempts to leverage the very successful development of a beamforming architecture into a scalable solution suitable for multiple types of instrument platforms. This paper details the ongoing development of a modular dual-band active antenna tile, with the primary intended use in airborne and small platform space applications for radar remote sensing. A secondary objective is to develop the modular tile, such that it will be used as the basis for a building block required for a future spaceborne instrument, reducing instrument cost and mission risk. The actual development of such a spaceborne mission is likely +10 years out, so we are focusing current efforts on developing this technology to fill the science gap, while the community waits for the more global coverage of an orbiting instrument. An airborne instrument is an asset regardless of an orbital instrument, as evidenced by the success of UAVSAR.