Small, lightweight JIB antennas from Northrop Grumman's Astro Aerospace business unit will help provide a new maritime identification capability for Canada's three RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) Earth observation satellites planned for launch in 2018.

Astro Aerospace will provide 13 self-deploying, monopole JIB antennas as part of an Automated Identification System (AIS) being added to the identical radar-imaging satellites under a contract from RCM prime contractor MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.

The RCM satellites will provide C band radar data to RADARSAT-2 users and add new applications made possible through the three-satellite constellation. Improvements include faster recurring area coverage of Canada and reduced risk of a service interruption.

"Our JIB antennas will be part of the key hardware in this world-class constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites that will add a ship identification capability for enhanced monitoring of Canada's coastal zones," said Astro Aerospace General Manager John A. Alvarez.

"Astro Aerospace has delivered more than 1,000 JIB assemblies for many important missions with 100 percent deployment success."

With an adaptable design configuration, JIB antennas can be tailored to specific applications. They are available in monopole diameters from one-half inch to 1 3/8 inches and any length up to 25 feet. The RCM AIS antennas stow in a low mass and compact 4-inch by 4-inch by 2.5-inch canister.