Heritage & Experience

Check out our product successes below and some of our prior experience and published papers. We are always adding to this list so please contact us for more information.

X-Band 1kW Radar SSPA RF-Deck

Launch Years: 2024 on multiple spacecraft.

Highlight: Radar high power SSPA, successfully launched and currently in operation.

Approximate Dimensions: 16.5cm (W) x 16.5cm (L) x 2.5cm (H) / 6.5in (W) x 6.5in (L) x 1in (H)

Peak Output Power: 1kW saturated.

Gain: ≈58dB large signal.

Bandwidth: 700MHz

Radar Frequency Synthesizer

Launch Years: Expected 2026 on multiple spacecraft.

Highlight: Radar frequency synthesizer module for Ka-band weather radar satellite.

Approximate Dimensions: 10cm (W) x 10cm (L) x 5cm (H) / 4in (W) x 4in (L) x 2in (H)

Noise Figure: 2dB nom.

Features: Includes low phase noise OCXO, phase coherent weather radar clock generator & and radar sub-harmonic Ku-band LO.

UHF 10W Transmitter with Integrated 4-Channel Receiver for Mars Orbiter and Lander

Launch Years: TBD launch date.

Highlight: 4 receiver channels and 10W transmitter.

Approximate Dimensions: 2.8cm (W) x 19cm (L) x 11.5cm (H) / 1.1in (W) x 7.5in (L) x 4.5in (H)

Noise Figure: < 1.4dB up to +70°C.

Features: Successfully RF breakdown tested the 10W transmitter. Characterized module over temperature from -20°C to +70°C,

Ka-Band Up/Down Converter & Frequency Synthesizer Subsystem

Launch Years: 2023 on multiple spacecraft.

Highlight: Radar LO and Ka-Band Converter, successfully launched and currently in operation.

Approximate Dimensions: 18.8cm (W) x 16.8cm (L) x 8.6cm (H) / 7.4in (W) x 6.6in (L) x 3.4in (H)

Ka Downconverter: 3.5dB typ. NF, 43dB nom. Gain

Ka Upconverter: 20dB Gain, +6dBm nom. P1dB

Frequency Synthesizer: 10MHz OCXO, S-Band and Ku-Band phase-locked outputs, low SSB phase noise

X-Band Radar LNA

Launch Years: 2020 to present on multiple spacecraft.

Highlight: Radar receiver LNA, successfully launched and currently in operation.

Approximate Dimensions: 4cm (W) x 4.7cm (L) x 2.1cm (H) / 1.6in (W) x 1.9in (L) x 0.9in (H)

Noise Figure: 2.5dB nom.

X-Band Communications SSPA

Launch Years: 2020 to present on multiple spacecraft.

Highlight: TT&C transmitter SSPA, successfully launched and currently in operation.

Approximate Dimensions: 4.5cm (W) x 5.1cm (L) x 2.2cm (H) / 1.8in (W) x 2.0in (L) x 0.9in (H)

RF Output Power P1dB: 2W min.

S-Band LNA with Preselector Filter

Launch Years: 2020 to present on multiple spacecraft.

Highlight: TT&C receiver LNA with preselector filter, successfully launched and currently in operation.

Approximate Dimensions: 4.8cm (W) x 5.5cm (L) x 1.9cm (H) / 1.9in (W) x 2.2in (L) x 0.8in (H)

Noise Figure: 2dB nom.

About the Company

Many space companies have their hands full with addressing issues in spacecraft operations, integration, test, etc. and Radial Space was started to help make sure that the RF design and electronics packaging challenges are not on your list of things to worry about.

Founder: Fernando Aguirre. RF Engineer.

Successful Space Missions prior to Radial Space:

Mars Cube One (MarCO)
NISAR Ka-Band Exciter (launch year: 2023)
Mars 2020
Mars Science Laboratory
ISARA Cubesat
INSPIRE Cubesat (launch TBD)
ISS RapidScat
GRAIL

Relevant Publications:

“Miniaturized and Reconfigurable RF Electronics Architecture for SmallSat Applications” IEEE Aerospace Conference, March 2020. Recipient of Best Paper Award in pertinent track. Aguirre, F.
“The Iris Deep-Space Transponder for the SLS EM-1 Secondary Payloads,” IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, 2019. Kobayashi, M., Holmes, S., Yarlagadda, A., Aguirre, F., Chase, M., Angaska, K., Burgett, B., McNally, L., Dobreva, T., Satorius, E.
“The ISARA Mission – Flight Demonstration of a High Gain Ka-Band Antenna for 100Mbps Telecom,” Proceedings of the 32nd Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, 2018. Hodges, R., Lewis, D., Radway, M., Toorian, A., Aguirre, F., Hoppe, D., Shah, B., Gray, A.
“High-Rate Ka-Band Modulator for the NISAR Mission,” Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2018. Pugh, M., Kuperman, I., Kobayashi, M., Aguirre, F., Kilzer, M., Spurgers, C.
“High Density Packaging Technologies for RF Electronics in Small Spacecraft,” Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2017. Aguirre, F., Schatzel, D.
“The Universal Space Transponder: A Next Generation Software Defined Radio,” Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2017. Pugh, M., Kuperman, I., Aguirre, F., Mojaradi, H., Spurgers, C., Kobayashi, M., Satorius, E., Jedrey, T.,
“X-Band Electronics for the INSPIRE Cubesat Deep Space Radio,” Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2015. Aguirre, F.H.
“Ka-Band Tone Generator for the ISARA Cubesat,” Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2015. Aguirre, F., Custodero, B., Shah, B.
“Iris Transponder – Communications and Navigation for Deep Space,” Proceedings of the 28th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, 2014. Duncan, C.B., Smith, A.E., Aguirre, F.H.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-aguirre-rfengineerspace