As the constellations in low Earth orbit expand, the antennas that support these next-generation networks are becoming more compact.

Satellites in lower orbits are closer to the user, which typically means they don’t need large, bulky antennas to deliver connectivity, Lukas Nystrom, chief technology officer at Karlstad, Sweden-based satcom terminal supplier Satcube, tells Connectivity Business News in the latest episode of “The Dish” podcast.

Nystrom credits SpaceX for driving the market shift toward satellite networks in lower orbits and, ultimately, smaller antennas.

“To get a critical mass of rocket launches, [SpaceX] needed to increase the demand for things to launch into orbit, and launching LEO satellites is a very good way of increasing the demand for rocket launchers,” Nystrom says.

Satcube in August opened a new mass production facility to accommodate the growing demand for its 8-kilogram flat panel Ku band antennas. The company is focused on solving the efficiency problem associated with much of what’s on the market today, including electronically steered phased array antennas, Nystrom says.

The semiconductor technology used in most phased array antennas lacks power efficiency, he says, adding that 90% of the energy from the silicon chips used to power these antennas just converts to heat instead of providing a radio signal to the satellite.

“Instead of radiating toward the sky, you're effectively now just a heat radiator that you carry around in your bag.”

The only way to protect the antenna from becoming overheated is to add a heat sink, which makes the antennas bulkier, Nystrom says.

Meanwhile, Satcube advertises its portable terminals as power efficient and able to run on a battery or a power cord due to their small size.

Smaller equipment also means more return on investment for satellite operators, Nystrom says.

“When you shrink the equipment that typically also brings cost reductions, so you can start to tailor to markets that previously did not have the funds to afford this kind of technologies,” he says.

Tune into this episode of “The Dish” to hear the full conversation with Nystrom.

To hear more from Lukas Nystrom, CTO at Satcube, on satellite market trends and the state of investment in commercial space, register for the free webinar “Investment in Connectivity: 2024 review and 2025 forecast” on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. ET.Register here for the webinar.