From the beginning, the M/A-COM approach to space has
been to develop strong parallel capabilities in both North
America and Europe. This approach has given us the ability
to address requirements on a regional basis while developing
a global competency. In the United States, we began
our involvement in space by supplying passive RF components
to the Apollo program. In the early 1970's the company
began designing and manufacturing more complex active products
to support U.S. Navy FLEETSATCOM communications. These
included antennas and high performance cable assemblies.
As space business activity expanded in the early and mid
1980’s, M/A-COM established a dedicated space products
Center of Excellence. The mission of the group was to design
and produce high performance products using the best core
technologies of the company while maintaining the extremely
high reliability levels required for long life military
and commercial satellites. The company began developing
increasingly complex multi-function assemblies for classified
programs.
The 1990s brought an increasing focus on GaAs MMIC components.
The INMARSAT IV program, for example, utilized more than
20,000 M/A-COM GaAs MMIC chips. The M/A-COM GaAs and silicon
fabs also supplied critical RF and IF components for the
MSAT mobile communications satellites that provided the first
commercial mobile service for North America. In 1993 our
Center of Excellence relocated to a new facility in Lowell,
Massachusetts, offering expanded capabilities and technical
resources. In 1995 the company added GaAs pHEMT millimeter
wave integrated circuit capability with the addition of the
former COMSAT wafer fab in Clarksburg, Maryland.
M/A-COM developed parallel competencies
for components and multi-function assemblies in Europe during
the same 30-year period. Our facility in the UK has supplied
qualified parts for multiple space payloads to the European
Space Agency (ESA) and other international organizations.
