Battel Engineering, Inc.
10020 North 58th Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85253
office: (480) 991-9747
fax: (480) 991-9748
email:
bateng@earthlink.net
121. Tether System Radiated EMC Test
Dynamic tethers are unshielded wires extending from the host spacecraft
to distances that can exceed many kilometers. Since they are basically a
bare wire antenna, control of radiated EMI is one of the key challenges
associated with a flight qualified tether system design. This picture
shows a simulated tether under test on the open-air “basketball test
range” at Battel Engineering. By using relatively low frequency drive
electronics and controlling transition speeds, the tether electronics
system can be made to meet MIL-STD-461 standards even when operating at
very high power.
Image © Steve Battel, Battel Engineering, Inc. All rights reserved.