AIAA Los Angeles Section Town Hall Meeting 8/23 (Webinar)

(A hybrid event: In-person and online attendance)

Saturday, August 23, 2025, 11 AM PDT (GMT -0700) (U.S. and Canada)

Disclaimer: The views of the speakers do not represent the views of AIAA or the AIAA Los Angeles Section.

Ku/K/Ka Band Innovation in Space & Defense: TR Multicoax™

and Flight-Ready Socket Solutions

As data throughput and system complexity continue to surge in the space and defense industries, the transition to Ku/K/Ka band (12–40 GHz) signaling is accelerating. This shift brings a host of engineering challenges—from maintaining signal integrity under extreme conditions to ensuring connector reliability through launch and thermal cycling.

Please Join AIAA Los Angeles Section and learn from an expert from Amphenol Ardent Concepts for an expert-led webinar exploring two advanced connector platforms designed to address these obstacles :

• TR Multicoax™ high-density, solderless cable assemblies
• Flight-ready socket solutions for BGA/CGA packages and hybrid RF/digital I/O

The speaker will share how Amphenol Ardent Concepts' technologies are helping leading aerospace and defense organizations design next-generation systems that perform reliably in the harshest environments.

Who Should Attend

This webinar is tailored for:

• Aerospace Engineers – Satellite, spacecraft, and LEO constellation developers
• RF Engineers – Focused on Tx/Rx signal integrity, shielding, and high-frequency routing
• Defense Systems Engineers – Designing rugged, high-speed signal systems
• Test & Measurement Engineers – Validating connectors in extreme environments
• Electronics Packaging Engineers – Concerned with mechanical and thermal reliability of connectors and sockets
• Telecom & SATCOM Designers – Building high-throughput systems operating in the 12–40 GHz range
• FPGA Architects – Integrating Rad-hard FPGAs with hybrid RF/digital interposer requirements

Key Topics and Takeaways

• The shift toward Ku/K/Ka band (12–40 GHz) presents performance and packaging challenges
• Solder joint reliability risks in traditional SMT, BGA, and CGA designs during launch and thermal cycling
• TR Multicoax™ solderless connectors eliminate reflow and deliver consistent performance
• Mil-Spec qualified contact technologies for socket reliability across launch, vibration, and space conditions
• Advanced hybrid interposer customization supporting coaxial + grid array integration
• Tooling paths that enable easy transition from ground-based test to flight-qualified production

The speaker will also talk about how Amphenol Ardent Concepts invites you to reimagine how connectors and sockets can support the most demanding military and aerospace applications—from concept through launch.

Luke Conroy

Field Applications Engineer

Amphenol Ardent Concepts

Luke Conroy is a Field Applications Engineer at Amphenol Ardent Concepts, a leading provider of high performance, solderless, interconnect solutions. In this role, Luke helps bridge the gap between sales and design engineering teams. He ensures customers find the correct products to meet their design requirements, often drafting and designing custom solutions. With a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Luke brings a technical background and a passion for innovation.

During his time at UNH, he led an inter-disciplinary team to compete in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC). Their design for a wave powered radio communication system won 1st overall out of 19 other collegiate teams. They also won several other accolades including 1st in the MECC Technical and Business Pitch, 1st in the UNH Sustainability Undergraduate Research Conference and 2nd in the UNH Holloway Prize Business Competition. 

In Luke’s free time he enjoys getting out of the office and spending time in the outdoors. He particularly enjoys skiing, hiking, and bouldering, but he has recently started to pick up surfing as well. If you have any surfing tips, he would appreciate them!

[AIAA Los Angeles Section], [contact@aiaa-lalv.org], [https://www.aiaa-lalv.org]