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Capabilities

Production Capabilities

U.S. Domestic Non-Traditional Aerospace Supplier

We bring agility, innovation, and cutting-edge technology to the aerospace sector, while meeting the highest industry standards.

Vertically Integrated, with a Secure and Stable Supply Chain

Tendeg's manufacturing and testing capabilities ensure consistent, on-time delivery of hardware. We can perform thermal, thermal vacuum and vibration testing in-house.

AS9100
Certified

We uphold strict standards of quality and reliability in aerospace manufacturing, ensuring compliance with rigorous industry requirements for mission-critical applications.

140+
Employees

Our dedicated team combines deep expertise and agile innovation to deliver cutting-edge aerospace solutions that meet the evolving demands of both commercial and defense markets.

Large Environmentally Controlled Production Space

Operating from a 160,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art production facility, we have the capacity to scale advanced aerospace manufacturing while maintaining precision, quality, and efficiency.

Advanced Metrology and Software Validation Tools

State-of-the-art metrology tools, including  surface scanners with turnkey software, provide real-time tuning and enable a rapid production build cadence.

Products

PTR

Perimeter Truss Reflector

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Supports HF to Q/V-bands, reflector sizes of 1.5 to 20+ m in diameter​.

  • Architecture enables high deployed stiffness and compact stowed volumes

  • Supports subreflector, can support monopulse or LPDA feeds

  • Can be paired with a deployable offset boom and deployment control electronics

    • 3m deployed reflectors have a first stowed natural frequency of 2.5

  • System has reached TRL-8

    • Qualified to GEVS and rideshare environmental loads

    • First Perimeter Truss Reflector flight unit delivered in 2024

    • Flight orders include 3m, 4m and 5m reflectors supporting L, C, X, and Ka band in LEO and GEO

    • Applications include: Communications, SAR and sensing Missions, among others

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    Large-Mesh-Configurations.png

    Ideal for maximizing system stiffness and lowering the MOI of the spacecraft.  This works well for simple feeds that can be easily positioned on an offset boom.

    Body Mounted Offset Fed

    Ideal for large reflectors that have complex, sizable feed networks. This works well for feeds that need to be adjacent to bus-mounted front-end electronics.

    Boom Mounted Offset Fed

    • Supporting the Astranis Omega Class Bus

    • Supporting GEO communications, LEO SAR, and other sensing applications.

    • Supporting national security programs

  • PTR Spec Sheet

    Large Mesh Antenna Brochure

Tensar

High Aspect Ratio Parabolic Cylindric Reflector

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​Scalable Tensegrity Frame

  • High aspect ratio, scalable parabolic cylindric antenna

  • Supports HF to Ka-bands, reflector sizes of +20m along the long axis

  • Parabolic surface can be flat, singly or doubly curved

  • Net shaping and structural stiffness allows surface precision up to Ka-Band

  • Reflecting surface can be gold wire mesh, a passive reflect array membrane, or folded rigid panels
     

  • Reached TRL-6 in 2024 at C-Band

    • Baseline demonstration deployed a 1.4m x 7m parabolic surface and feed boom

    • Measured 43 dB gain with a C-band feed

    • Demonstration article sized for an ESPA class bus (stows in a 1.4 x 0.5 x 0.2 m volume)

    • Deployed stiffness >1 Hz first mode and <25 kg mass

  • Scalable rectilinear architecture enabling the deployment of large parabolic reflective membranes, passive reflectarrays or folded rigid panels. Ideal for SAR and sensing missions.

    Body Mounted Center Fed

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    • Supporting High Resolution Radar

  • Tensar Spec Sheet

    Large Mesh Antenna Brochure

Ultra Stiff PTR

Center-Fed Perimeter Truss Reflector

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Ultra-Stiff Large Deployable Reflectors

  • Highly scalable, parabolic perimeter truss reflector with stiffening spokes

  • Supports HF to Q/V-bands, reflector sizes of 2 to +20m in diameter

  • Architecture enables high stiffness apertures

    • 5m reflectors have a first mode stiffness of >10Hz

    • 10m reflectors have a first mode stiffness of >5Hz

    • Spacecraft interface at reflector base is ideal for gimballing

    • Enables fast slew rates, low MOI and rapid settling times

  • ​Supports Cassegrain or ADE optics, can easily accommodate monopulse or LPDA feeds

  • System has reached TRL-4

    • All critical components (mesh, truss, cords, feeds) are at TRL-8 or above

    Established 5 meter point design

    • Stowed volume (1.85m x Ø0.45m) fits on an ESPA class bus

    • Gain of >52 dB at 10GHz

    • Deployed stiffness > 10 Hz, <40kg mass

  • Scalable perimeter truss architecture enabling the deployment of large, ultra-stiff reflector systems. Ideal for missions that require rapid pointing maneuvers.

    Gimbal Mounted Center Fed

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    • Supporting rapid pointing and tracking applications

  • Ultra-Stiff PTR Spec Sheet

    Large Mesh Antenna Brochure

Large Deployable Mesh Reflectors

High-gain, precision RF capabilities for missions including Earth sensing, communications and advanced geospatial intelligence.

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Compact Reflectors with Integrated Gimbals

Precision tracking for high gain communication and sensing applications, allowing for dynamic real-time pointing.

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Components: Mechanisms, Feeds, Gimbals, & Electronics

Tendeg provides a series of supporting components that enable an end-to-end solution with a simple and clean interface to standard space platforms. 

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KaPDA

2-Axis Gimbal Platform

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Integrated Solution: reflector, gimbal, & feed. Scalable reflector from 0.5m to 1.5m diameter.

  • Integrated reflector, gimbal and control electronics, feed, waveguides, diplexer, filters and cabling, depending on customer needs.

  • Volume available behind reflector for LNAs, PAs and radio components among others, direct waveguide attachment to feed reduces RF losses

  • Reflector surface is 1g tolerant, minimizing need for offloading GSE

  • RF characterized at X, K, Ka, Q/V bands (up to 52 GHz).
    Polarization capabilities: RHCP, LHCP, Vertical and Horizontal.
     

  • TRL 9 with >36 units ordered; delivered 2/month throughout 2024

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    Integrated reflector with gimbal and control electronics, feed, waveguide, diplexer, filters and cabling, depending on customer needs. Volume available behind reflector for customer furnished LNAs, PAs, frequency converters, etc. 

    2-Axis Gimbal Platform

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    Integrated reflector with gimbal and control electronics, feed, waveguide, diplexer, filters and cabling, depending on customer needs. Volume available behind reflector for customer furnished LNAs, PAs, frequency converters, etc. 

    Flip-Out Platform

    • More than 10 successful deployments on orbit 

    • Demonstrated production rate of 2 reflector systems per month throughout 2024.

  • KaPDA Spec Sheet

    Compact Reflector Brochure

Axially Fired Apertures 

Tendeg’s axially fired antenna products are used in various applications including feeds for large apertures, directional communication, asset tracking and sensing. 

These include high aspect ratio Helical, Quadrifilars, Yagi and Log Periodic Dipole Antennas (LPDA).

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    Tendeg has developed a locking motorized clamshell hinge that is at TRL 8 for LEO missions. The hinge uses a COTS motor assembly (vacuum and space rated) for deployment that drives a set of linkages to preload and lock with precision cup-cone interfaces. This provides a highly repeatable deployment and minimizes any bending and torsional stiffness loss through the hinge.​

    Tendeg has also incorporated thin-walled carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) tubes to offset feeds and reflectors.  The fiber modulus and resin and the laminate schedule can be tailored to meet low CTE requirements needed for pointing precision.​

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    Zero CTE composite boom under test

    Motorized locking precision hinge stowed (left) and deployed (right)

  • Tendeg’s deployment control electronics and gimbal driver supports gimbal operations, large aperture / boom deployment, launch lock release, ports for heater circuits / thermocouples and telemetry monitoring.  This board is currently at TRL 9.  Tendeg’s gimbal motor assembly supports sub 0.05 degree resolution

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    Deployment control electronics and gimbal driver

    Gimbal motor assembly

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    Our Deployment Sequence Electronics & Telemetry Monitoring systems ensure precise, real-time tracking and verification of critical deployment events, providing mission assurance.

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    Tendeg has developed a clamp band hold down release mechanism to restrain and protect the stowed reflector during launch.  In addition, Tendeg often incorporates separate release devices to restrain multi-segment booms.  Tendeg unitizes commercially available release devices from multiple suppliers.

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    Tendeg often provides interface payload structures that mount and align critical components of the communication systems such as the reflector + boom assembly, feed, RF modules, deployment control electronics and star trackers. 

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    Tendeg provided integrated payload structures for the NASA Incus mission

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    Tendeg can deliver integrated RF systems including feeds, sub reflectors, wave guides, polarizers, diplexers, power amplifiers and cabling. Hardware procured from more than a dozen domestic entities.

  • 1.5m - 15m class, Stows flat
    HF through S-Band

    Feeds, Communications, Sensing and Asset Tracking

    • Incorporates a tensioned truss structure to enable high stiffness

    • Helical system is at TRL-4
       

  • 0.5m - 3m class, Fixed/Articulated Deployment
    HF through S-Band

    Feeds, Communications, Sensing and Asset Tracking

    • 3m LPDA system is at TRL-4

Precision Surfaces 

Tendeg’s precision surface products are designed for ultra-stiff, optically/thermally defined applications in the most demanding space environments.

Tendeg’s optically precise, TRL-6, 10m  development unit featured on the cover of National Geographic in 2023

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  • Astrophysics, NASA Starshade Mission

    • 10m diameter, spoke-driven

    • Performed 10+ deployments, 30um precision

    • Reached TRL-6 or greater for all major components, including gravity off-loader

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  • Obfuscation or Layered Thermal Shields

    • 1.5m to +20m diameter class

    • Ultra-Stiff, tensioned membrane

    • 10m system is at TRL-4, all components are at TRL-6

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