Gallium nitride, a semiconductor material, could be the way satellite communications (SATCOM) systems are built in the future, according to a Boeing [BA] executive.
Boeing Vice President of Business Development for Space and Intelligence Systems Jim Simpson said recently though the economics are not there yet, gallium nitride could be the next big breakthrough in the development of satellites.
“With the advent of gallium nitride, we’re able to get power amplifiers and things such that we’re starting to make this potentially, moving forward, the future way you build communications satellite systems,” Simpson said.
Boeing space and intelligence systems executives recently previewed future possibilities in the area of communication satellites. Company Vice President and General Manager of Space and Intelligence Systems Craig Cooning said recently the ability to put multiple satellites in the same orbit box, or two satellites at the same orbital location, could be leveraged in the future. He added this would give satellite manufacturers a lot of flexibility.
Simpson said digital processed satellite systems and phased arrays could be foundations of future satellite systems. Cooning said phased arrays give satellites flexibility in use while Simpson said digital processed systems provide manufacturers better control over interference.
“I think you’re going to see in the future that the ability to anti-jam or anti-interfere, and using the digital process payloads as well as phased array…is going to be the future marketplace,” Simpson said.
The Boeing team of executives were in Washington for the Satellite 2013 conference at the Washington Convention Center. Satellite 2013 is produced by Defense Daily parent company Access Intelligence LLC.