NSF Award
2131866
Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), the manager of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and Green Bank Observatory (GBO) for NSF, and Raytheon Technologies, Inc. will partner on an integrated technical design for important new scientific and space domain awareness radar capabilities for the United States. They will develop detailed conceptual designs for (a) a high-power high frequency phased-array radar transmitter for the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), and (b) a medium-power phased-array modular transmitter system for deployment on antennas under design for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) and other radar-capable facilities. Successful designs are intended for use by these and other more speculative activities still to be defined. The project includes a focus on broadening participation by under-represented minorities (URM) and the public in radar astronomy and related STEM fields. It includes research and training experiences for URM students, middle and high school science lesson plans, and multimedia public outreach materials.<br/><br/>High-power radar observations provide unique information about natural solar system objects, including planets, near-Earth asteroids and other nearby objects, and about human activities in space, including spacecraft structure, performance and navigation, both nearby and beyond Earth. New technical directions and operational approaches have been presented to the current Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey for discussion. They include more powerful transmitters, flexible phased-array transmit hardware, and antenna arrays as transmitters and receivers, and they all promise increased sensitivity and better operational readiness. The design work between NSF’s NRAO and GBO, and Raytheon, their industrial collaborator, is an essential first step to a transformative future across multiple disciplines. These technologies will drive advances in planetary defense, technology transfer and commercialization, and benefits for local communities surrounding observing facilities.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
