"Blowing Up Antennas: A Revolutionary Solution for Low-Mass Space Communication"

NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is supporting the development of a potentially game-changing antenna design called the Large Balloon Reflector (LBR). The LBR is an inflatable device that creates wide collection apertures for space-based sensing and communications. The concept turns part of the inside surface of an inflated sphere into a parabolic antenna, offering a lightweight alternative to current deployable antennas. With funding from NIAC and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, a 33-foot-diameter LBR was successfully demonstrated. This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize space-based communication systems.