Lightweight Dual-Beam Reflector Antenna

The figure illustrates a lightweight composite-material dual-beam reflector antenna for the SeaWinds spaceborne scatterometer instrument, which operates in the Ku band and is designed to measure wind velocities at the surface of the ocean. The design of the antenna could also be of interest for terrestrial applications in that it addresses issues that are not unique to any particular application and that involve some overlap and competition between mechanical and electromagnetic-performance requirements.