Amazon’s Project Kuiper reveals design of antennas customers will use for internet-from-space constellation

Amazon revealed the design of the antennas its customers will use to tap into the company’s upcoming massive satellite constellation, Project Kuiper, designed to provide broadband internet coverage from space. The antenna, which is a phased-array design, underwent development and testing in the fall of 2020. With a diameter of just 12 inches across, the antenna is “smaller and lighter than legacy antenna designs,” Amazon claims. Testing showed the antenna can provide “maximum throughput of up to 400 Mbps.” The company also notes that the antenna can be used to stream 4K-quality videos from geostationary satellites, spacecraft that are located about 22,000 miles above the Earth. Kuiper’s satellites will be much closer to Earth, though. In July, Amazon received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to launch a constellation of 3,236 satellites for Project Kuiper, with the spacecraft flying at altitudes ranging from 590 kilometers, or 366 miles, to 630 kilometers, or 391 miles. With so many satellites orbiting close to Earth, Project Kuiper aims to beam low-latency, broadband internet coverage to individual users on the planet below. The goal is to provide coverage to remote areas and regions that do not have access to traditional high-speed internet.