The Array — Commercial Dish Array Network
Cascade Space
First commercial dish array built for modern space missions — digital beamforming combines multiple smaller dishes into a single dynamically-sized aperture.
Technical specifications
- MINI configuration
- S-band G/T 25.6 dB/K, EIRP 66.9 dBW; X-band G/T 35.4 dB/K, EIRP 76.9 dBW
- LUNAR configuration
- S-band G/T 28.6 dB/K, EIRP 72.9 dBW; X-band G/T 38.4 dB/K, EIRP 82.9 dBW
- DEEP configuration
- S-band G/T 37.7 dB/K, EIRP 91 dBW; X-band G/T 47.5 dB/K, EIRP 101 dBW
- DEEP+ configuration
- S-band G/T 42.6 dB/K, EIRP 101 dBW; X-band G/T 52.4 dB/K, EIRP 111 dBW
- Scaling roadmap
- 1 dish to 200 dishes across multiple global locations
About
Cascade Space is building a network of dish arrays to replace reliance on the oversubscribed NASA Deep Space Network. Rather than single large dishes (expensive to build, high maintenance, fixed aperture size), Cascade uses arrays of smaller dishes that are cheaper to build, more reliable, and offer dynamically adjustable aperture size and pricing. Digital beamforming combines multiple dishes into a single aperture — as more dishes are added, the beam sharpens, focusing more power toward the spacecraft. The roadmap includes a Mini array (1 dish, S-Band Rx), scaling to 15 dishes with Lunar+/S&X Tx/Rx/Ranging, additional locations, and a Deep+ global coverage configuration of 200 dishes.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
