Innovated Space-Based Radar Antenna Technology (ISAT)

The ISAT program is developing technologies that enable the deployment of extremely large electronically scanning antennas in space, and the metrology and calibration technologies necessary for coherent beamforming from such large antennas. These huge antennas enable the revolutionary performance required to conduct tactical sensing from space, including missions like continuous reliable tracking of surface targets.

In 2003 three prime contractor teams developed competing concept designs and identified the necessary technology demonstrations. In 2004/2005 the three prime contractor teams successfully demonstrated key components of large structure deployment, metrology and calibration technologies and passed the preliminary design review for the ISAT demonstration system. In 2005 DARPA down selected to two prime contractors who will conduct ground ground-based risk reduction experiments for the deployment, metrology and calibration of the ISAT demonstration system and conduct a critical design review. In 2006 DARPA will award a single contract to build a flight demonstration system, to be launched in 2010, that will deploy a very large space antenna, calibrate it in real time and form a coherent transmit beam.

DARPA is also developing performance predictions and lifecycle cost models for the transformational tactical sensing systems enabled by the ISAT technologies.