Creating low cost multi-band and multi-feed passive array feed antennas and low-noise block feeds

1. An antenna comprising:

a first antenna core;

a multi-band antenna array located on a top surface the first antenna core;

a second antenna core laminated to the first antenna core, wherein an inner surface of the first antenna core is adjacent to an inner surface of the second antenna core;

an antenna ground plane located on the second core;

a first dielectric window located at the inner surface of the first antenna core and positioned beneath the multi-band antenna array;

a second dielectric window located in the inner surface of the second antenna core and positioned beneath the multi-band antenna array, wherein the first dielectric window and the second dielectric window form a dielectric column between the multi-band antenna array and the antenna ground plane; and

a plurality of feed networks interspersed on the first antenna core and the second antenna core.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a low noise block feed connection located on the first antenna core.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the multi-band antenna comprises:

a first antenna array configured to operate on a first radio frequency band; and

a second antenna array configured to operate on a second radio frequency band, wherein the second antenna array is integrated into the same antenna boresite as the first antenna array.

4. The antenna of claim 3 , wherein the second antenna array is oriented at a 45 degree offset to the axis of the first antenna array.

5. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of feed networks comprises:

a first feed network connected to a first antenna array; and

a second feed network connected to a second antenna array.

6. The antenna of claim 5 , wherein the second feed network lies outside the dielectric columns associated with the first antenna array.

7. The antenna of claim 5 , wherein the first feed network is located on the first antenna core and the second feed network is located on the second antenna core.

8. The antenna of claim 5 , wherein the first feed network and the multi-band antenna array are located on a common surface of the antenna.

9. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the multi-band antenna comprises a first patch array and a second patch array having a common antenna boresite.

10. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of feed networks are located outside of the dielectric columns.

11. A multi-band antenna system, the system comprising:

a first antenna core comprising a first metallized layer, a first substrate, and a second metallized layer;

a second antenna core comprising a third metallized layer, a second substrate, and a fourth metallized layer, wherein the second antenna core is laminated to the first antenna core with the second metallized layer adjacent to the third metallized layer;

a multi-band antenna array located on the first antenna core and formed from the first metallized layer;

a first dielectric window located in the second metalized layer and positioned beneath the multi-band antenna array;

a second dielectric window located in the third metalized layer and positioned beneath the multi-band antenna array, wherein the first dielectric window and second dielectric window form a dielectric column between the multi-band antenna array and the fourth metallized layer;

a first feed networks located on the first antenna core;

a second feed network located on the second antenna core; and

a low noise block downconverter integrated with the first antenna core.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the multi-band antenna array comprises a first patch array and a second patch array having a common antenna boresite.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second feed network lies outside dielectric columns associated with the first antenna array.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first patch array is configured to operate on a first radio frequency band and the second patch array is configured to operate on a second radio frequency band.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein a thickness of the first substrate is configured for use with antenna electronics.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first feed network is located on the first metallized layer and the second feed network is located on the fourth metallized layer.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first antenna core is a printed circuit board and the low noise block downconverter is attached to the printed circuit board.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first substrate is thinner than the second substrate.

19. An antenna apparatus comprising:

an antenna array configured to operate on a first radio frequency band and a second radio frequency band;

a dielectric column located under the antenna array and formed by laminating two substrates together, the substrates comprising a copper layer, and removing a dielectric window from each copper layer prior to lamination to create the dielectric column, the antenna array being located at an outer surface of the laminated substrates;

a ground plane located on a surface of the laminated substrates opposite the antenna array, the dielectric column being formed between the antenna array and the ground plane;

a first corporate feed network formed on a first surface of the laminated substrates and situated outside the dielectric column;

a second corporate feed network formed on a second surface of the laminated substrates and situated outside the dielectric column; and

a low noise block board formed on the first surface of the laminated substrates.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the antenna array comprises a first patch array and a second patch array having a common antenna boresite, the second patch array being oriented at a 45 degree offset to the first patch array.