Team Head: Paweł Kabacik
Associate Professor
R&D Group: Onboard Telecommunication Electronics for Spacecraft and Transportation Means
Faculty of Electronics
Wroclaw University of Technology
50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
tel: 48 71 320 3191
fax: 48 71 320 3189 or 2530
pawel.kabacik@pwr.wroc.pl
http://www.space-comm.pwr.wroc.pl
http://www.pwr.wroc.pl
Research experiences: Technology of antennas (focus on microstrip, both planar and conformal; wearable, lightweight, inflatable); Antennas for harsh environment; Spaceborne and aviation antennas; Small terminals antennas; Modern day de-icing techniques for antennas operating in the Far North/Arctic; Microwave communication subsystem of minisatellites and small spacecraft, including Moon probes and Mars landers; Antennas for broadband wireless nodes on vehicles, vessels and planes; Communication and navigation subsystem in Arctic regions; Antenna phased arrays; Mobile and wireless communication (terrestrial and satellite); Antenna measurements in near- and far-field; Antenna diagnosis; Digital beam forming; Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits design for spacecraft transceivers, antennas and for off-shore industry.
In terms of measurements and qualification tests we have experiences with several leading European and US laboratories (EADS Astrium, IABG, DLR, ESA/ESTEC, EAS - other laboratories, NASA - three centers, Boeing Integrated Defence Systems, Motorola). Furthermore, we are familiar with procedure applicable to tests of equipment/software developed up to the Technology Readiness Level 9 (including manned space transportation and stations). We have also experiences gained with Polish laboratories.
Chamber
- The only one team out of approximately 105 short-listed teams representing broad spectrum of research and scientific specialties in Poland (Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw), that after presentations of capabilities and internal evaluations by Motorola Inc., received research funding from Motorola Inc. in Poland at that years (four contracts).
- The only team in Poland who flown own-technology (two antennas) in a cargo bay of NASA Space Shuttle and delivered these antennas for permanent service to the International Space Station.
- 2012, a contract for ground breaking technology in lightweight, thin antennas for new generation of satellites. As we were informed, so far the first CNES contract awarded to an academic team in Poland.
- 1986, Highest Honours at the University Diploma, i.e. recognition of three top students in the Graduation Class (240 students), Prof. Pawel Kabacik.
- 2000, IEEE Harold A. Wheeler Applications Prize Paper Award Honorable Mention, IEEE; the H. A. Wheeler Award recognizes the paper considered to be the best application paper in the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation for the past year, Prof. Pawel Kabacik.
- 2007, Pro Student Award – An annual Award of the Student Association in Wroclaw consisting of Student Self-Governing Bodies of all academic institutions in Wroclaw (140 thousand students). Prof. Pawel Kabacik.
The highest professional awards/recognitions:
Examples of ground breaking accomplishments in the field of antennas and communication subsystems developed for aerospace applications in our team (from the top left clockwise): (1) low-profile (30mm thick) dual band RHCP antennas for Columbus module - the module is the main ESA contribution to the International Space Station; (2) RHCP/LHCP six-antenna system for the ESA Moon Probe ESMO and (3) guidelines into antenna optimum placing to ensure at least 95% no-null radiation pattern of the ESMO probe in the S-band; (4) less than 10 mm thick, lightweight X-band RHCP/LHCP 20.5 dBi antenna array for new generation of broadband spacecraft and their terminals, CNES project; (5) US Space Shuttle Atlantis lifting-off NASA KSC, with the Columbus laboratory and our antennas mounted on it, 8 Feb. 2008; (6) ESA educational spacecraft SSETI-Express with three our low-profile antennas mounted on it and (7) SSETI-Express transceiver with our housing and our microwave circuits/cabling during integration and tests at ESA/ESTEC; (8) Image taken during EVA at ISS, with clearly seen a pair of our low-profile antennas mounted on the Columbus MDP panels (June 2009).
From the top left clockwise: (1) three antennas invented in our team for mobile phones (according to Motorola, Nokia and LG mobile phone antenna experts, these antennas featured the smallest volume and the broadest 900/1800 MHz bandwidths among known designs in 2002-2005 period; (2) Harold A. Wheeler Honorable Mention diploma 2000 offered to Mr. Pawel Kabacik; (3) ESA ESEO minisatellite for which we have developed S-band communication subsystem and the antenna; (4) example of icing problems on antennas with which our team has dealt under Norwegian Arctic projects; (5) the cover of IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine issue (Oct. 2003) showing results of antenna diagnosis with our methods implemented on the near-field antenna system developed in-house; (6) the cylindrical antenna (S-band) made with a composite panel for a new concept of radio broadband system on sea; the antennas was developed under Norwegian MarCom project and tested by A-Star in Singapore waters and laboratory for two years (2010-2012).
Fig. 3. Our antenna measurement facilities entirely developed in-house, including software for automatic measurements and data visualization (from top right): top radiation pattern measurements of inflatable search and rescue maritime antenna invented in our team (2010); bottom the bi-polar near-field antennas system (1994-); one of three our antenna measurement systems for radiation pattern measurements in the full spherical angle (2002-); our cylindrical antenna measurement system, the antenna under test is mounted on a part of the cylindrical ground plane such as a hull of the Columbus or a fuselage of airplane.