A multi-beam antenna design that simultaneously communicates with as many as 20 satellites – compared with one antenna for one satellite in conventional systems — was awarded the 2004 “Industry Innovators Award” by the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) for technology developed by the public sector.

The antenna, designed by the Australian-based Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is a “radical breakthrough,” because it greatly reduces the visual impact of conventional antenna arrays. The SSPI, an international nonprofit body committed to the professional development of people in the satellite industry, features a membership that includes such luminaries as Arthur C. Clarke, a science-fiction writer and inventor of the concept of geostationary satellites.

In accepting the award, Dr. Trevor Bird of the CSIRO ICT Centre, said the multi-beam antenna demonstrates how innovative Australian design and engineering can combine to deliver a world-first.

“The technology has the capacity to be an Earth-based switch between satellites and cable in the ground to deliver a broad range of wideband and high-speed data applications,” said Dr. Bird, who led that team that developed the multi-beam antenna system. For in-depth coverage of this story, see the March 15 issue of Satellite News. For more information about subscribing to PBI Media’s satellite newsletters, check out our Web site at www.satellitetoday.com.