Qorvo® (Nasdaq: QRVO), a leading provider of innovative radio frequency (RF) solutions that connect the world, today announced its Spatium® solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) technology will play a key role in a new planetary radar experiment using the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Planetary radar is instrumental in characterizing Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) by providing precision measurement of shape, rotation, position, and an estimate of composition.
NRAO and Green Bank Observatory, using a RI&S radar, conducted the first-ever transmission from the GBT. The test produced detailed images of the Apollo 15 moon landing site by way of a transmitter installed on the GBT. At the heart of this RF transmitter lies Spatium technology, 700 watt, 13-16GHz SSPA providing the power necessary to achieve this technological milestone.