Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers for Space System Transmitters

Satellite communication payloads predominantly use Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs) in preference to Solid-State Amplifiers (SSPAs) as the final-stage amplifier in space-to-ground transmitters. The biggest advantage of TWTAs over SSPAs for satellites is their superior efficiency for most applications. We will discuss why TWTAs continue to be predominant on new satellites despite the improvements in SSPA technology.