Skip to main contentSkip to main content
Back to Glossary
Technical

Phased-Array Antenna

An antenna of many elements whose beams are steered electronically by adjusting signal phase, without physically moving the antenna.

A phased-array antenna forms and steers beams by controlling the relative phase of signals across an array of radiating elements. This enables rapid, agile beam pointing and the creation of multiple simultaneous beams.

Phased arrays are central to modern high-throughput satellites and user terminals, allowing constellations to track fast-moving spacecraft and to reuse spectrum across many spot beams.