How Radeus Labs Engineered Custom Antenna Control for Mission-Grade SATCOM

by | Sep 16, 2025 | Satcom

In high-stakes SATCOM projects, there’s no margin for error. When your mission profile calls for tracking accuracy down to ten-thousandths of a degree across GEO, MEO, and LEO, the difference between success and costly rework comes down to one thing: control.

That’s exactly the challenge a U.S. program faced when it needed to bring multiple large-diameter antennas online at a new teleport facility. The requirements were daunting: quad-motor elevation synchronization, dual azimuth drives, unpredictable wind loading, and a non-standard pedestal design. The original vendor couldn’t deliver on time, or at spec.

Enter Radeus Labs.

From Integrator to Engineering Partner

Rather than drop in a generic off-the-shelf system, Radeus Labs stepped in with its RL-9000 ACS platform and a philosophy: adapt the system to the mission, not the other way around. The engagement wasn’t just about shipping hardware, it was about embedding with the prime contractor and antenna OEM to solve problems in real time.

Over the course of an eight-week on-site effort, Radeus engineers fine-tuned quad-motor elevation control, balanced massive reflector inertia, and developed a custom scheduler application to coordinate signal acquisition across multiple antennas. The result? Two fully deployed, mission-ready systems and a repeatable deployment model for future sites.

Why It Matters for SATCOM Professionals

If you’ve been around the industry, you know the pain:

  • Unforgiving accuracy requirements that expose the limits of standard controllers.

  • Unique pedestal designs that force expensive redesigns or compromise performance.

  • Environmental load factors (wind, flex, temperature) that don’t show up in lab conditions but wreak havoc in the field.

  • Integration deadlines that don’t leave room for trial and error.

This case study walks through how Radeus Labs met those challenges head-on, from hardware adaptations to software innovations, proving that precise, adaptable control is achievable, even under extreme conditions.

Who Should Read This Case Study

If you’re a program manager responsible for delivery timelines, a systems engineer wrestling with multi-motor motion control, or a contractor competing for high-performance antenna deployments, this story was written with you in mind.

👉 Read the full case study to see how Radeus Labs turned a high-risk SATCOM challenge into a proven, repeatable success, and what it means for your next project.

 

Blog

See Our Latest Blog Posts

Writing a Grant Proposal for Dispatch or Public Safety Gear? Focus on These 3 Things

You know the drill: your department needs new equipment now, but the budget, or the grant, only goes so far. That’s why so many emergency services teams apply for what they can get today, with plans to expand when more funding comes through.

The good news? Funders are often open to a phased approach, as long as you spell it out clearly. When you show that your gear can scale with your needs, you’re not just being budget-savvy. You’re showing long-term thinking, operational resilience, and responsible use of public funds.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the three most important things to include in your grant proposal, so you can get the equipment you need now, and build on it later.

Why R&D Hardware Choices Can Make (or Break) Your Project

If you’re part of an engineering team, you know the story too well: the prototype works fine, but once you move toward production, everything starts to fall apart. The part you counted on goes end-of-life. Licensing costs balloon out of nowhere. Thermal issues show up in the field that you never saw in the lab. Suddenly your carefully built timeline slips, and you’re the one explaining delays and budget overruns to leadership.

The hard truth? Most of these headaches can be traced back to hardware decisions made early in R&D.

Couldn’t Make It to MODSIM World 2025? Here’s What You Missed!

Earlier this month, innovators and defense leaders gathered in Norfolk, VA for MODSIM World 2025, an event dedicated to modeling, simulation, and digital twin technologies. For those who couldn’t attend, here’s a look at the standout themes, conversations, and connections that shaped this year’s conference.