A wideband resonant slotted waveguide array for space SAR applications

Space SAR applications along with the spacecraft to fulfil these have been growing over the last two decades. The advent of ERS1 & 2 has given confidence that this form of image acquisition has a clear potential. Many small nations hope to be future members of the SAR user community requiring SAR's at lower cost than previous instruments whilst seeking higher resolution. In addition the user nation may very well claim a part of the satellite construction. The need therefore, for a single polarisation, small, wide bandwidth, low cost, low loss and low mass antenna array to form the footprint on the earth has become a clear design aim for the satellite antenna designer. This paper outlines the design of one such antenna that utilises thin wall aluminium waveguide to minimise mass.