Spacecraft with modular communication payload

A spacecraft of a set of spacecraft has an antenna support frame defining square apertures, which are the same size in all spacecraft of the set of spacecraft. The set also includes a plurality of radiating tiles for various operating frequencies. The tiles all have the same dimensions, so that any combination of tiles may be mounted in the apertures of the frames of any spacecraft to form antenna arrays of various sizes, depending upon the customer's requirements. Each tile includes plural beamformers and power amplifiers, and remotely controllable phase shifters and level controls, for ready reconfiguration of the antennas while the spacecraft is in operation. The preferred dimension of each radiating tile is a one-foot square.