{"start":0,"take":1,"total":1,"items":[{"activityNumber":"1000046321","budgetReference":"E/0901-01 - Technology Developme","classified":false,"closingDate":"2026-12-18T13:00:00","extensionRequestDeadline":"2026-12-11T13:00:00","clarificationRequestDeadline":"2026-12-11T13:00:00","description":"Objective: To develop a representative demonstrator of a Scatterometer instrument based on a phased array with a reduced number of control points, by exploiting grating lobes.Description: For Earth Observation applications there are instruments, like Scatterometers, requiring a limited number of beams M pointing in fixed directions. A promising antenna architecture is based on an array antenna organized in interleaved subarrays (number of subarrays equal to the number of target beams M). Each subarray is having the periodic cell split in M sub-apertures. One of the M sub-apertures is occupied by a radiating element, the other M-1 slots are kept emptyto be used by the other M-1 interleaved subarrays. The dimension of the periodic cell is larger than one wavelength in order to create grating lobes exactly in the directions where the desired beams of the Scatterometer instrument are targeted. The array factor associated to the M phase centres of the M subarrays, when fed with identical phase value, creates a beam pointing at the boresight direction with radiative nulls positions coinciding with the grating lobes positions. Accordingly, when feeding the M inputs with thesame phase value a main beam in the boresight direction can be generated and the M-1 grating lobes can be cancelled by the radiative nulls. When feeding the M inputs with a linear phase in order to point the main beam exactly at one of the M possible targeted angles, the radiative nulls permit to cancel all the subarray pattern beams except the desired one. The M beams can be generated one atthe time, or simultaneously by adding a small beamforming MxM network. Possible values for M could be 3 or 5. To be noted also thatthecorresponding beams can be placed in the same azimuthal plane or not. This beamforming solution permits to reduce by a factor Mthe number of controls (phase shifters, direction couplers, amplifiers). As a consequence, a significant reduction in the cost and complexity of the entire instrument can be achieved. Reducing by a factor 3-5 the number of passive and active components in a Scatterometer instrument based on a phased array. This activity encompasses the following tasks: - Instrument identification and requirements refinement. - Technology trade-off and down-selection. - Identification/optimization of most promising architectures. - Preliminary design of a baseline architecture and back-up architecture - Detailed design of a baseline architecture - Define preliminary manufacturing technique and prototype. - Definition of test and verification plan - Breadboard manufacturing and test - Results analysis and evaluation.","ecosrequired":true,"establishment":"ESTEC","firstPublicationDate":"2026-05-18T11:21:39","id":187374,"idEra":25060,"initiatingService":"TEC-EFA","ipmeasure":"N/A","isArchived":false,"isCancelled":false,"isReissued":false,"isToBeReissued":false,"issueQuarter":"262","lastUpdateTime":"2026-11-06T11:56:32","lastUpdateUser":"ylcorren","openDate":"2026-11-06T11:56:30","priceRange":"> 500 KEURO","programmeReference":"Technology Developme","tanumber":"1-13496","title":"PHASED ARRAYS EXPLOITING GRATING LOBESFOR SCATTEROMETER INSTRUMENTS EXPRO PLUS","directorate":"Directorate of Tech, Eng.  Quality","countries":[{"id":1},{"id":168},{"id":67},{"id":27},{"id":26},{"id":25},{"id":24},{"id":23},{"id":22},{"id":19},{"id":17},{"id":16},{"id":13},{"id":12},{"id":11},{"id":10},{"id":9},{"id":8},{"id":7},{"id":6},{"id":5},{"id":2},{"id":15}],"products":[{"id":356}],"technologies":[{"id":202}],"status":{"id":2},"tenderType":{"id":5},"isFavourite":false,"eraVersion":1,"stageNumber":null,"isNew":false,"isUpdated":false,"declarationOfCompliances":["All the required declarations of compliance have been addressed and included in our proposal's Cover Letter. "],"keyAcceptanceFactors":["The Tenderer confirms, on its behalf and on behalf of its Subcontractor(s), to satisfy the “Eligibility Requirements” (see section 1.1 of the EXPRO/TC);","The Tenderer confirms, on its behalf and on behalf of its Subcontractor(s), to fulfil the requirements concerning “Free Competition” (see paragraph 10 of the Cover Letter of the Proposal Template);","The Tenderer confirms, on its behalf and on behalf of its Subcontractor(s), to accept the conditions established for “Non commitment by the Agency in competitive procurements” (see section 1.7 of the EXPRO/TC);","The Tenderer confirms, on its behalf and on behalf of its Subcontractor(s), to be compliant with the “Non Benefits Requirements” (see section 1.8 of the EXPRO/TC);","The Tenderer confirms that the tender Cover Letter and the Detailed Proposal contain a binding price;","The Tenderer confirms that the tender Cover Letter and the Detailed Proposal contain a price type compliant with the one requested in the ITT;","The Tenderer confirms that the tender is compliant with the budgetary limit applicable to the ITT;"],"evaluationCriterias":[{"criterion":"Background and experience (related to the particular field concerned) of the company(ies) and staff, including adequacy of the proposed facilities","weightingFactor":"25%"},{"criterion":"Understanding of the objectives of the activity and discussion of the problem areas, and adequacy of the programme of work","weightingFactor":"55,00000000000001%"},{"criterion":"Adequacy of the time dedication and costing, compliance with administrative tender conditions and acceptance of the contract conditions","weightingFactor":"20%"}],"entities":[],"procurementProposal":null,"responsible":"Veljko Radojevic","updateReason":"Tender Action Issued"}],"totalNew":0,"totalUpdated":0}