Live Deployment of 8m Ka-band LEOB Large Deployable Reflector
On 11 May 2021, Large Space Structures GmbH performed the first deployment of the 8-m class LEOB reflector. The Large Deployable Reflector is designed for the Copernicus CIMR Radiometer mission, and is a 8-m, Ka-band rotating antenna – a one-of-its kind system, 100% produced in Europe. The complete deployment is shown in the video below, taken at LSS GmbH Facilities in Eching, Germany.
This very first deployment of the LEOB Engineering Model was streamed live and its success demonstrates the high maturity of LDR technology in Europe. The successful deployment was attended and covered by ESA. The deployment closely follows another successfully milestone, the deployment of the LEA reflector earlier this year.
LSS GmbH is responsible for the reflector design, manufacturing and testing of the Large Deployable Reflector Assembly. The LEOB project is funded by the European Space Agency, and led by HPS GmbH.
Large Space Structures GmbH (LSS) is a company based near Munich, Germany, founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich where its staff had been working on deployable reflectors and advanced composite membranes for more than two decades. It inherited from its academic background a very strong R&D philosophy, still developing break-through materials and technologies in partnership with various institutional, industrial and academic institutions from 0.5 m to >12 m reflectors and from P to W-band. For any enquiries, please contact us at info@largespace.de.