by Lori J. Rachul

Members of NASA Glenn Research Center's Communications Division will be feted at a black tie event in the Grand Ballroom of Chicago's Navy Pier on October 19 during the 2006 R&D 100 awards banquet.

Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, Dr. Rainee Simons, Dr. W. Dan Williams and Richard Krawczyk (retired) collaborated with L-3 Communications Electron Technologies, Inc., Torrance, California, on a traveling-wave tube (TWT) that is being recognized as one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year by the editors of R&D magazine.

L-3 Communications Electron Technologies, Inc.'s Model 999HA is a high-power, high-efficiency space TWT that will provide high-rate communications for science data and video from NASA deep space missions. This TWT will enable science data and video to be sent at significantly higher rates than previously possible and with reduced cost.

A TWT is an electronics device that is used to amplify microwave communications signals. TWTs are needed for high-frequency and high-power applications such as deep space communications because they have significantly higher power capability and efficiency than solid state devices.

The L-3 Communications 999HA TWT will enable direct-to-Earth communications at data rates 75-percent higher than previously possible while decreasing overall mass by 35 percent. It also is operational over a very wide frequency bandwidth of 9 GHz, which provides flexibility for future NASA missions.

For more information about the R&D 100 Awards, visit: http://rdmag.com/awards.aspx. For more information on NASA Glenn Research Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/home/index.html.