A flagship European Space Agency (ESA) project kicked off amidst the coronavirus period via teleconference on the 2nd June 2020. The DELHILA project (DEpLoyable HIgh gain antenna structure for smalL spAcecraft science mission) puts Greece on the global map of Deployable Structures technologies which are crucial for space missions and have been identified as a critical technology for Europe’s non-dependence in the Global Space Market. The project is funded by the ESA Science Core Technology Program (CTP).
The aim of the project is to develop a reliable, deployable reflector antenna which is intended to meet the communication needs of interplanetary scientific missions with small spacecraft platforms. The project covers all the steps of development: design, breadboarding, manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing to flight readiness.
The Consortium of Greek Partners consists of Wireless Communications Laboratory, IIT, NCSR Demokritos, the company Adamant Composites Ltd. (prime contractor), the University of Patras (Applied Mechanics Laboratory) and SITAEL Hellas (Greek subsidiary of SITAEL, Italian system integrator with a focus on small satellites). WiCom laboratory has undertaken the study, RF design and simulation of all the transmission/reception modules of the new antenna.
Dr. Antonis Alexandridis, Research Director and Head of WiCom, comments on the kick-off of the project:
“The ESA-DELHILA project is a great challenge for our Laboratory, as we have the chance to exploit in the field of Space Applications our infrastructure, expertise and know-how in antenna technologies. We believe that this project will be a pilot for the expansion of our research collaborations with the European Space Agency as well as with high-tech Greek companies such as Adamant.”