11 Jun 2020 The only ESA qualified cable assembly for the latest generation of Q band (45 GHz) satellites

Only Axon’ Cable currently provides a range of RF cable assemblies up to 45 GHz which has been QPL qualified by ESA according to the ESCC3408/003 specification.  Up to twice as light as non-approved equivalent products, these cable assemblies achieve excellent electrical characteristics.  In short, this is an ideal solution for antennae designed for telecommunication satellites operating in the Q band (45 GHz).

A development in partnership with CNES

The development of this range of microwave coaxial assemblies has been fully achieved by Axon’ Cable with the support of the French Space Agency CNES.  The choice of materials makes it the lightest cable on the market.  Made with a 3.4 mm diameter coaxial cable and terminated with swept or straight SMA connectors, this RF assembly is highly resistant to radiation (> 300 Mrad). Electrical performance in terms of VSWR (<1.25) and insertion losses (3.0 db/m at 45 GHz) achieved by this cable assembly are remarkable.

A large range of microwave coaxial assemblies

Suitable for either ground-based or on-board radar, for avionic or military applications, Axon’ Cable has developed an extensive range of microwave cables.  The company’s engineers are focused on optimizing the assemblies for the customer’s specific frequency.

Long-term flight heritage

This is by no means the first space experience for Axon’ Cable.  The company has been providing data transmission harnesses for the Ariane 5 launcher since the early 90’s, and is involved in an impressive number of space projects worldwide.  Scientific satellites including Gaia, earth observation satellites including Proba-V or Sentinel, not to mention Curiosity, NASA’s iconic Martian Rover, and the list goes on.  Axon’ Cable has also carried out all the main cabling on the Rosalind Franklin Rover –  ready for the forthcoming ESA/Roscosmos mission to the red planet.