Radar
Renewal: Phased Array Technology Could Improve Reliability, Capabilities of Air
Traffic Control System
Aircraft
operating in U.S. airspace rely on several different types of ground-based
radars to help them fly safely. Yet these radars, based on older technologies
that use many mechanical components, require frequent repairs as well as costly
periodic maintenance programs.
A research
team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is working with the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) to investigate alternative approaches to the radars that
currently support the nation’s air traffic control and weather monitoring
systems. The multi-year study is examining the feasibility of replacing that
group of radars with a single system based on phased-array technology, an
advanced design that uses solid-state electronics in place of many mechanical
components.
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