Jamie Bennet
Lockheed Martin’s space business conducted a demonstration of its wideband electronically steerable antenna payload that is capable of performing missions on orbit faster than traditional sensors.
The Tantrum payload demonstrator is expected to be onboard Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha launch vehicle when it lifts off in December, Lockheed announced Monday.
The demo involved integrating Tantrum into a small satellite bus called the Terran Orbital Nebula. The activity aimed to prove the viability of the ESA payload, which was built using commercial components for mass producibility.
“Our customers’ mission needs and operational tempo have increased dramatically,” said Maria Demaree, vice president and general manager of national security space at Lockheed Martin Space.
“We designed this technology to showcase how a highly producible ESA antenna could be built, launched, and quickly calibrated and fielded on orbit, in support of 21st Century Security,” added Demaree, a Wash100 awardee.
