Rendered drawings of JCSAT 15 and JCSAT 16. Photo: SSL

[Via Satellite 03-03-2016] Japanese satellite operator Sky Perfect JSAT has awarded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ ISI business unit a contract for the design, supply, delivery, installation and test of a Tracking, Telemetry and Control (TT&C) antenna and associated Radio Frequency (RF) system for the JCSAT 16 satellite. The project, which already passed the Critical Design Review (CDR) phase, is scheduled for completion this summer, well in advance of the JCSAT 16 launch, scheduled for 2016.

Sky Perfect JSAT is Asia’s largest satellite operator, with a current fleet of 15 satellites. The TT&C award includes a 9-meter Ku-band antenna, fully redundant RF equipment and Kratos’ Compass monitoring and control software. The system will be installed at Sky Perfect JSAT’s Superbird Platform West (SPW) ground station located in Yamaguchi, Japan.

The system will be the primary TT&C earth station for JCSAT-16. It will include a 9-meter Ku-band turning head antenna that has a fixed cylindrical tower with a turning gear at the top to provide a continuous +/- 100 azimuth steering range. The system will have a step-track tracking and control system and fully redundant RF system. Kratos’ Compass monitoring and control software will provide the health and status information of the RF equipment to improve system resiliency by identifying and resolving equipment issues quickly.

Under a separate contract, Kratos ISI will also provide its Epoch Integrated Product Suite (IPS) for the JCSAT-16 satellite control system, which will consist of Kratos’ Epoch command and control and Oasys flight dynamics solutions.