Reducing the Energy Consumption of the Transmitting Active Phased Antenna Array of a Low-Orbit Communications Satellite with a “Jumping” Beam

— The results of the analysis of the energy consumption of the transmitting active phased antenna array (APAA) of a spacecraft of the low-orbit communication system (with broadband access or with direct access to cellular subscribers) have been presented. It has been shown that in order to reduce energy consumption by switching on (off) the emitters, depending on the beam deflection angle from the nadir, it is possible to achieve a significant reduction in the heat release of the spacecraft’s APAA. But this solution is feasible only if the APAA forms one “jumping” beam.