Ten high-capacity, Ka-band antennas from Harris were successfully sent into space January 19 with the fourth launch of a Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) spacecraft – the DoD's next generation of communications satellite — from Cape Canaveral. This brings to 40 the number of Harris antennas that have been deployed onboard WGS satellites, which are significantly increasing the capacity and reach of global military satellite communications.

The graphite antennas provide high-capacity, high data rate up and down links that enable each WGS satellite to securely transmit and receive digital voice, data and imagery. Each Boeing-built WGS has 10 times the bandwidth of the entire predecessor satellite constellation. With 10 steerable antennas per satellite, military forces also have much broader coverage of the entire Earth.

With more than 50 reflectors in orbit, Harris is the dominant supplier of large reflector apertures and deployable mesh reflector-feed antenna systems for all orbital regimes. Offerings span UHF band through Ka band, in sizes ranging from 2.6 meters to the world's largest commercially available 22-meter reflector. Harris reflector products have the highest surface accuracy design in the industry, while substantially exceeding the specified mean mission duration of the spacecraft and payload.

For more information about Harris antenna technology, click here.

View a video of the launch on Florida Todays website