Inflatable Antennas: The Future of Low-Mass Space Communication

An engineering academic working for NASA has developed a new method for creating parabolic antennas for spacecraft by forming the parabolic reflector on the inside of an inflatable structure. This innovative approach allows for the construction of relatively large and lightweight antennas in space. While the article does not provide specific details on how the problem of spherical aberration will be addressed, potential solutions could involve designing the balloon with carefully shaped panels or using a feedhorn to correct for the effect of a spherical reflector.