SALT LAKE CITY – Aug. 25, 2026 – Tendeg has released NewTEN, a two-axis steerable reflector antenna that expands communications performance and pointing access for small spacecraft. Unveiled Monday, Aug. 24, at the 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference, NewTEN is designed to meet the repeatable, high-volume production needs of large, proliferated constellations.
The antenna pairs a compact offset-fed reflector with a two-axis pointing mechanism that allows the RF feed to remain fixed to the spacecraft, simplifying RF routing, spacecraft integration, and thermal dissipation. The target is X through Q/V-band communications for spacecraft where size, weight and power constraints limit antenna options.
Proliferated constellations present unique challenges to antenna design and production. Designers are increasingly requesting high-performance hardware that can be integrated, produced and delivered repeatedly across dozens or hundreds of vehicles. NewTEN meets that challenge by pairing 2-axis gimbal performance to a common architecture, reducing recurring integration efforts.
“Mission architects don’t have to choose between limited pointing access and complex custom gimbaled antennas,” said Gregg Freebury, founder and CEO of Tendeg. “We developed NewTEN to provide a flexible low-SWaP solution that can be easily integrated and produced at scale.”
Tendeg has been investing in ramping up its ability to support higher-rate production and sees NewTEN as a key piece of its product portfolio. SmallSat attendees can see NewTEN at Tendeg booth 2019. Product information and technical inquiries are available at www.tendeg.com/newten
About Tendeg
Tendeg is a U.S. space manufacturer that designs, builds and delivers deployable antennas and advanced structures for commercial, civil and national security missions. From compact systems to large-aperture mesh reflectors, Tendeg develops precision flight hardware and repeatable product platforms at its Louisville, Colorado, manufacturing campus.
Media Contact
Scott Slack
scott.slack@tendeg.com
Facts Only
* Tendeg released NewTEN.
* NewTEN is a two-axis steerable reflector antenna.
* The antenna expands communications performance and pointing access for small spacecraft.
* NewTEN was unveiled on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City.
* NewTEN pairs a compact offset-fed reflector with a two-axis pointing mechanism.
* The RF feed remains fixed to the spacecraft.
* The target communications bands are X through Q/V-band.
* The design addresses size, weight, and power constraints for spacecraft.
* NewTEN is designed to meet repeatable, high-volume production needs for large constellations.
* Tendeg is a U.S. space manufacturer based in Louisville, Colorado.
Executive Summary
Tendeg released NewTEN, a two-axis steerable reflector antenna designed to improve communications performance and pointing access for small spacecraft. This technology was unveiled at the 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference on Monday, August 24, 2026. NewTEN combines a compact offset-fed reflector with a two-axis pointing mechanism, allowing the RF feed to remain fixed to the spacecraft, which simplifies routing, integration, and thermal management. The antenna is targeted for use in X through Q/V-band communications on spacecraft constrained by size, weight, and power limitations.
The design addresses the challenges posed by large, proliferated satellite constellations, where designers need repeatable, high-volume hardware. NewTEN achieves this by employing two-axis gimbal performance within a common architecture, which aims to reduce recurring integration efforts for system architects. The technology is presented as a low-SWaP solution that allows mission architects more flexibility regarding pointing access compared to traditional custom gimbaled antennas.
Full Take
The narrative positions NewTEN as a solution to an engineering bottleneck—the trade-off between pointing access and system constraints in massive satellite constellations. The emphasis on "repeatable, high-volume production" suggests the primary market tension is not just technical capability but supply chain manufacturability for complex systems. The appeal to mission architects highlights a pattern where complexity is often framed as an unsolvable dilemma, which this technology seeks to resolve by offering a standardized, scalable architecture.
The integration of NewTEN into existing satellite infrastructure addresses a systemic challenge: scaling requires moving from bespoke, custom hardware integration to repeatable, modular platforms. This taps into the broader trend in space technology toward standardization and mass production methodologies. The underlying implication is that performance gains are secondary to the feasibility of large-scale deployment. The focus on low-SWaP design connects this specific antenna innovation to the overarching drive in the commercial and national security space for efficiency.
What assumptions about the cost of custom versus standardized hardware are driving the demand? How does the emphasis on production repeatability reshape the perceived value of flexibility in high-throughput systems? If large constellations mandate repeatable manufacturing, does the need for customization shift from physical pointing freedom to software-defined flexibility within a shared geometric envelope? What subsequent challenges arise when integrating widely produced, standardized components into heterogeneous constellation designs?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like a factual press release detailing a new technological product and its relevance to an industry problem, exhibiting characteristics consistent with professional technical journalism.