Lightweight space-fed active phased array antenna system

A space-based antenna system (150) for a satellite, the system comprising: a central system of the space-based antenna system (150), characterized in that the central system includes: a stable local oscillator (215) configured to generate a reference frequency serial, circuitry (220) configured to generate transmission signals based on, at least in part, the reference frequency serial, at least one transceiver of system (250) for transmitting the reference frequency serial and the transmission serial, and for receiving a receiving serial; and, multiple active antenna nodes (300) that form a portion of an active phase multi-element antenna system, in which each active antenna node includes: at least one node transceiver (325) configured to receive the reference frequency serial and the transmission serial from the system transceiver, and to transmit the reception serial to the system transceiver, frequency translation circuitry (330) coupled to receive the reference frequency serial, and to provide signal translation between the transmission and reception serials to inhibit interference between the transmission and reception signals, a power generation section (505), and control circuitry (500) coupled with the node transceiver and the power generation portion (505), in which the control circuitry (500) is configured to process or control the transmission and reception serials, and configured to at least facilitate the control of the beam formation and beam orientation of the space-based antenna system using, at least in part, the reference frequency serial and, one or both of the serial transmission and reception.