Goodbye VIL-4
ESAC is losing one of its landmarks. The 12 metre VIL-4 antenna being dismantled, the parabolic dish lifted from its mount and lowered to the ground. Once there, it will be cut up and transported from the site.
The VIL-4 antenna was originally designed to be used in the Ku-band, but was changed to support the 4-6 GHz C-Band. This was used in 1987 by the MARECS (Maritime European Communications Satellite) programme.
15 years later, when the MARECS programme came to an end, the antenna was upgraded to operate in the X/Ka scientific bands. This meant that it could be used as a test-bed to validate the use of this novel technology for future deep-space missions. It’s first task was to communicate with the KaTE experimental transponder on board ESA’s first Moon mission, SMART-1. In order to be able to do so, VIL-4 had to be upgraded to support a pointing accuracy of 0.001 degrees – this meant that new techniques had to be developed to support these demanding requirements.
The technologies developed using VIL-4 can now been seen employed in all of the ESA deep space antennae; in New Norcia (Australia), Malargüe (Argentina) and Cebreros (Spain). They are also used in ESA’s X-band systems in New Norcia and Malindi (Kenya)
After decades of pushing the frontiers of satellite communication technology, this venerable antenna is now coming to the end of its useful life. Changes in the way in which future missions are designed and operated mean that this antenna no longer forms an integral part of ESA’s ESTRACK network and so the decision has been made to take it down.
Goodbye VIL-4 and thank you for everything.