Federico Di Vruno of Spectrum Manager - Square Kilometer Array Observatory

Radio astronomy is the science of studying celestial phenomena with the observation of radio waves, radio observatories employ different types of antennas (e.g. fixed single dish, steerable dish, aperture arrays) tracking celestial sources in the sky. Satellite transmissions have always been a feature in the sky, and radio astronomers are used to dealing with them in low numbers or fixed positions. The recent developments on large low earth orbit constellations, with plans for several thousand of satellites using X, Ku, K and Ka bands (8 GHz-40 GHz), will change the way radio astronomical observations will be conducted on these frequency ranges. The situation will shift from satellites being few in LEO orbit or being bound to the geo-stationary orbits, to a potential situation where more than 400 satellites will be visible above the horizon and moving at great speed. This talk presents an introduction to radio astronomy and the challenge it faces with these constellations. Touching on the regulatory aspects of the protection of radio astronomy, compatibility studies that have been done, and the use of radio quiet zones for radio astronomy.

Biography:

Federico Di Vruno has been a member of IEEE since 2006, where he was involved in the university student branch and in the Argentina Section. He is trained as an electronic engineer with special interest in RF systems, measurements and electromagnetic compatibility. He has experience in RF and EMC in satellite systems and measurement automation. For the past 3 years, he has been working for the Square Kilometer Array Observatory, dealing with radio frequency interference (RFI) management for the design and construction of the world's largest radio telescopes.