UAV-based Far-Field Measurements on the SKA Aperture Array Verification System

The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is one of the most promising radio telescopes for the next decades. Its low-frequency instrument will consists of a sparse random array of dual-polarized log-periodic antennas operating from 50 to 350 MHz. In the framework of the Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS) project, several antenna measurements have been performed by means of a micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) [1],[2] in order to validate the computed radiation patterns (embedded-element and array). The array prototypes were composed of 16 antennas log-periodic antennas [3],[4] arranged in a random configuration The aperture array prototypes were fully equipped with LNAs, receivers and beam-forming hardware. The results obtained with the the digitally-beam-forming system are presented in this abstract.