An Overview of Radomes for Large Ground-Based Antennas

This tutorial provides an overview of RF-transparent protective enclosures or “radomes” for ground-based antennas. In addition to electromagnetic behavior, structural and environmental considerations are highlighted which are important in large antenna installations such as those for satellite communication and deep space radar applications. Different radome types such as metal space frame, inflatable, and sandwich are contrasted with emphasis on the tradeoffs they entail for the antenna system.