Department of Electrical Engineering 214 Zachry Engineering Center Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-3128 Tel. (409) 845-7441 Fax. (409) 845-6259 17 February 1992 Mr. Russell J. Hannigan Powersat Study Manager Eurospace 16 BIS( Avenue Bosquet 7500 Paris Re: Demonstration Experiment Dear Mr. Hannigan, I read your letter (and enclosures) of 9 January 1992 with great interest. I agree that a small-scale, low cost demonstration experiment beaming power from a free-flyer to a rectenna mounted on a towed, inflatable toroid is the appropriate first step. Therefore, I would like to explore the possibility of initiating a cooperative venture between myself and ESA to further develop beamed-power technology, perhaps starting with this demonstration experiment. The Texas A&M University's Electromagnetics and Microwave Laboratory (EML) ranks among the most sophisticated laboratory of its kind in the country. Its research activities span a broad spectrum of applications, from space power to medicine. With funding support from the Center for Space Power, much progress has been made in the research and development of microwave/millimeter-wave components for beamed- power transmission in space. And a detailed set of computer models have been developed to analyze a variety of beamed-power systems and applications. We have done a lot of rectennae research at 2.45 GHz, 10 GHz and 35 GHz. Currently, my students and I are investigating and testing various design improvements of the 2.45 GHz rectenna designs developed by William C. Brown at Raytheon and by Canada’s Department of Communications in their SHARP Program. Mr. Brown is a beamed-power consultant to the EML, and the Canadians were originally teamed with us on the proposed Shuttle beamed-power experiment. In support of the Shuttle experiment, the EML obtained a collection of diodes used by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1975 Goldstone Experiment (where 30 kW of power was transmitted over a mile). These diodes have provided us with the opportunity to investigate various rectenna configurations for optimized efficiencies and low harmonic radiation. I believe that the EML could design, develop and test a rectenna configuration optimized for Eurospace's demonstration experiment. The development of a space-qualified rectenna is already part of our research program, and an appropriate rectenna system could quickly be developed to meet your specifications and any proposed launch date. By using University-based facilities and personnel, I believe that the rectenna system could be provided relatively inexpensively.
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