A big issue in setting up satellite communications networks is the antennas – it takes time to set them up. In the wake of a big disaster cell networks can be damaged when the towers fall and take months to repair. For television crews and military units carrying a rigid satellite antenna can be a serious logistical problem, as even a metre-sized dish is quite heavy and difficult to transport.
Enter GATR Technologies, which has designed an inflatable 1.2-metre satellite antenna that can fit into a backpack and be carried by a single person. The company’s antenna looks something like a beach ball. It is a double-layered sphere with one layer a nylon mesh and the other made from sail material. The antenna is in the centre.
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@Sam, maybe for non-combative roles, because this thing would be rendered useless with a single shot. Regular antenna could deflect, maybe deform slightly, or even with a hole, still preform without to much signal loss.
A single shot would require atleast two patches, and the middle probably can’t be repaired due to the construction.
I imagine that the military will be very interested.
@Sam, maybe for non-combative roles, because this thing would be rendered useless with a single shot. Regular antenna could deflect, maybe deform slightly, or even with a hole, still preform without to much signal loss.
A single shot would require atleast two patches, and the middle probably can’t be repaired due to the construction.