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Reshetnev Unveils 12-Meter Folding Satellite Reflector
Reshetnev has tested a 12-meter umbrella-style folding reflector for satellite communications, designed to fit under a rocket fairing and deploy with one drive.
Image: ITzine
A 12-meter folding reflector for space communications has been developed by JSC Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev, with the prototype already tested and earmarked for future satellites.
According to Roscosmos, the new antenna uses an umbrella-style design. When stowed, it folds into a compact package that can fit under a rocket fairing, then deploys using a single drive. That matters in space hardware, where a larger aperture improves signal gain, but the structure still has to meet tight launcher volume limits.
This is not a completely new direction for Reshetnev. The company has been building umbrella-type antennas for relay satellites since the 1980s, when signal power became a priority. The new version appears to keep the same core concept while making it more practical for modern spacecraft.
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Folding reflector design
A key feature is that the reflector folds and deploys without bulky mechanics. For a space antenna, that is significant: every extra mechanism adds mass, complicates testing, and raises the risk of failure after launch.
At 12 meters, this is a large antenna intended for missions that need to capture weak signals and maintain high system sensitivity, including satellites serving remote areas or acting as long-distance relays.
The mesh material is also notable. In 2022, Reshetnev presented a replacement for traditional tungsten and molybdenum wire with a thickness of 15–30 microns. At the time, the company described it as a metal composite material with high electrical conductivity and resistance to physical stress, aimed at solving a long-running problem in large space reflectors: balancing strength, low weight, and stable radio-frequency performance.
Satellite communications use case
Large deployable reflectors remain difficult but necessary because satellite communications has to balance two hard constraints: big antennas and strong link budgets on one side, and mass, volume, and launch cost limits on the other.
The source notes that companies including Boeing and Airbus Defence and Space, along with specialist suppliers in the US and Europe, are working on lightweight deployable antennas and mesh reflectors for telecom satellites. Russian manufacturers have historically treated this class of hardware as one of their strengths.
Against that backdrop, the new Reshetnev prototype looks less like a one-off demonstration and more like an attempt to hold its position in the market for heavy communications and relay antennas. The development is now undergoing ground-based verification. If those tests confirm the prototype’s results, the next step will be integration into new satellite platforms.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via ITzine
