Disruptive chipset platform redefines satellite agility, efficiency and sustainability.
Circuits Integrated Hellas (CIH) launched Kythrion, a new chipset platform designed to support satellite communications. Developed to meet the requirements of aerospace, defense, and connectivity networks, Kythrion offers improvements in performance, size, and sustainability for flat panel antenna (FPA) design.
Kythrion is the first integrated solution combining transmit, receive, and antenna functions within a 3D antenna-in-package (AiP) and system-in-package (SiP) design. By stacking compound III-V semiconductors such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN) with silicon technologies, Kythrion reduces antenna size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) by over 60%, while improving thermal performance—without requiring changes to existing manufacturing processes.
Kythrion addresses limitations of legacy flat panel phased array antennas, which can account for up to 20% of satellite payload mass and involve trade-offs in size, cost, and power. By reducing PCB layers and integrating RF, logic, and antenna elements into a compact 3D chip, Kythrion helps Satcom operators fit more sensors on Earth observation platforms, including low Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, while supporting longer mission durations and lowering launch costs.
Users of Earth observation platforms face shrinking data windows and urgent demand for real-time, high-throughput connectivity. With up to 20x bandwidth improvements and dramatic mass reduction, Kythrion empowers satellite operators to integrate more sophisticated payloads—such as high-resolution sensors, multispectral imaging systems, or artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analytics—without requiring larger spacecraft or booster upgrades.
Kythrion incorporates sustainable design by using existing semiconductor materials and infrastructure, avoiding costly retooling and reducing carbon-intensive manufacturing. This approach aligns with industry and government efforts to promote climate-conscious innovation in space technologies.
CIH is making Kythrion available as a flexible platform that supports chip sales, design-for-license engagements, or custom integration. The platform is currently undergoing packaging and stress validation, with early-stage demonstrators expected in late Q3 2025 and general availability in Q2 2026. Patent protections are in place for Kythrion’s core design and packaging architecture, with additional filings in development to cover future enhancements.
For more information, visit circuitsintegrated.com.
