GENERIC PICK-UP HORN FOR HIGH POWER THERMAL VACUUM TESTING OF SATELLITE PAYLOADS AT MULTIPLE FREQUENCY BANDS AND AT MULTIPLE POLARIZATIONS

摘要

A system for testing one or more payload antenna feeds of a spacecraft payload, the system comprising: one or more pick-up horns (100; 200; 310; 320; 330; 401; 507; 802; 900; 1104(1)-1104(5)) for absorbing radiated power of an antenna (402; 506; 604; 1102(1)-1102(5)), each pick-up horn (100; 200; 310; 320; 330; 401; 507; 802; 900; 1104(1)-1104(5)) comprising: at least one outer metal wall (101, 102, 122; 201; 901, 902, 922) forming a metal body (103; 210; 903); at least one interior surface (104, 105; 202; 904) disposed in the metal body (103; 210; 903) and forming two or more chambers (106, 107; 209; 906) in the metal body (103; 210; 903); a front metal surface (110; 203; 311; 321; 331; 910) disposed at a front end of the metal body (103; 210; 903), and having two or more equally sized openings (108, 109; 204; 312, 313; 322, 323, 324; 332; 908) corresponding and connected to the two or more chambers (106, 107; 209; 906); at least one high-power absorbing load (114, 115; 205; 914) disposed within each of the two or more chambers (106, 107; 209; 906) and configured and arranged to conduct heat to the at least one interior surface (104, 105; 202; 904); a cooling channel disposed in the metal body (103; 210; 903) to remove heat from the body (103; 210; 903); and a plurality of thermal sensors (117; 507a; 917) configured and arranged to detect a temperature associated with the at least one high power absorbing load (114, 115; 205; 914) of the one or more pick-up horns (100; 200; 310; 320; 330; 401; 507; 802; 900; 1104(1)-1104(5)) and to produce output temperature signals indicative of the temperature associated with the at least one high power absorbing load (114, 115; 205; 914); one or more payload antenna feeds configured and arranged to receive RF drive signals and produce radiated RF power; one or more frequency synthesizers (1110, 1112) configured and arranged to produce RF output drive signals to drive the one or more payload antenna feeds; and a processor (501; 1106) configured and arranged to receive the temperature signals from the thermal sensors (117; 507a; 917) and to turn off the output signals of the control the frequency synthesizers (1110, 1112), wherein radiated RF power of the one or more antenna feeds can be reduced.