New "Paint-On Antenna" Flies Successfully on Airship

Cyber Defense Systems Inc, ST. PETERSBURG, FL and ATLANTA, GA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center, RTI International, Applied EM, Inc., International Communications Group, Unitech, Sierra Nevada Corporation (Sierra Nevada), and Techsphere Systems International, Inc. (Techsphere), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cyber Defense Systems, Inc., announced today that the test flights of the new generation “paint-on” antenna technology on board the SA-60 Spherical Airship were successful June 21, 2006 in the Nevada desert. 
 
This was a worldwide exclusive to test the lightweight “paint-on antenna” technology on Sierra Nevada and Techsphere airship technology for communications and other applications. As part of an effort to develop new high-altitude communications and surveillance platforms, Applied EM, Inc. and Unitech, LLC are developing conformal “paint-on” antenna technology under an Air Force Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program (Air Force Research Laboratory, Hanscom AFB). 
 
“Paint-on” antenna designs were used in the Airship flight test for Iridium Global satellite communications from several locations on the airship. These antennas transmitted and received voice and data links via the global Iridium satellite system and overall radio frequency performance was outstanding. Iridium bit error rate data transmission and receptions were tested and voice communications to and from the Airship with teleconferencing were tested successfully. 
 
In addition, the airship flight experiment included NASA's GPS Reflectance Experiment, which was flown to evaluate Airship applications for soil moisture remote sensing missions. The NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is developing remote sensing applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS). While originally designed to relay navigation data, the satellite-transmitted GPS signal itself may be used to obtain a number of useful scientific measurements of both the earth's surface and of the atmosphere. This new technique utilizes the reflection of GPS signals from water, wet ground, or artificial conducting (metal) bodies. Researchers at Langley, in concert with their colleagues around the world, are developing theory, designing instrumentation, and conducting experiments to better understand the properties of the surface reflected GPS signal. The goal of the project is to apply the knowledge gained toward the development of low-cost, easily deployed, and widely applicable remote sensing systems. 
 
RTI brought the team together as part of NASA's Innovative Partnership Program (IPP) to demonstrate the overall capabilities of high altitude airships for numerous NASA research applications. “The successful airship test flights demonstrate exciting possibilities for 'paint-on' antenna technologies,” said David Myers, vice president of RTI's Engineering and Technology Unit. “This new technology can be used to assist with hurricane disaster relief, provide enhanced security of ports and borders, perform science observation missions and improve military communications.” 
 
“Our goal is to provide the most innovative low cost communication platform on the planet for government and commercial end users,” stated Mike Lawson, chief marketing officer of Techsphere. 
 
“This application shows the benefits of using our airship technology for communication, protecting our warfighters and implementing true border protection now,” stated Billy Robinson, chief executive officer of Cyber Defense.  
 
Cyber Defense Systems, Inc. is designing and building a new generation of UAV's and airships. Cyber Defense is currently marketing their M.A.R.S and Techsphere airships as well as their UAV's to various branches of the U.S. government, U.S. allies and commercial clients as multi-use platform vehicles capable of deployment in surveillance and communication operations.