L-band phased array for maritime satcom

In this paper a phased array antenna for maritime satellite communications is described. The antenna consists of 26 patch elements that are mounted on a soccer-like spherical aperture. The antenna allows full duplex communication via L-band satellite systems like Inmarsat BGAN or Thuraya. This design is an innovative and powerful alternative to current mechanically steered systems. A fully functional demonstrator has been built and measured. The measurement results are in perfect agreement with the simulations. An outdoor live test on a ship will take place in summer 2010. The prototyping phase is about to start.