NASA applications include Control and Non-Payload Communications (CNPC) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), inclusive of telecommand, telemetry, navigation aid data, air traffic control (ATC) voice relay, air traffic services (ATS) data relay, sense and avoid data relay, airborne weather radar data, and situational awareness video. The technology also applies to payload communications for manned and unmanned aircraft, which typically requires higher data rates than command & control (C2) of the aircraft. These payload communications applications include sensor downlink and video downlink. Additional airborne applications include airborne weather radar, such as NASA's HIWRAP project, a dual-frequency (Ka- and Ku-band) solid-state transmitter-based Doppler radar system, and radar altimetry, such as Operation IceBridge, which includes a Ku-band radar altimeter system. Space applications that could benefit from this high-efficiency power amplifier technology may include the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Near Earth Network (NEN) transponders for satellites.
Non-NASA commercial applications include all of the same UAS control and non-payload communications (CNPC) related applications (e.g. telecommand, telemetry, navigation aid data, etc.) via satellite, manned and unmanned aircraft payload communications (e.g. sensor and video downlink), airborne and space-based radars, ground-based SATCOM terminals, (e.g. VSATs), etc.
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