Glossary - K

Ka band
frequency band from 18 to 31 GHz
(communications)

keyhole
the area in the sky where a particular antenna cannot track a spacecraft because the angular tracking rates would be higher than the antenna’s tracking mechanism can achieve
(communications)

kilonova
stellar explosion produced when a neutron star collides with and merges with a black hole or another neutron star
(astrophysics)

Klystron
a type of microwave high power amplifier used for particularly high power outputs in earth stations
(earth station technology)

Ku band
frequency band from 10.9 to 17 GHz
(communications)

Kuiper belt
a ring of icy objects orbiting the Sun in the outer solar system, extending from the orbit of Neptune (approx 30 AU from the Sun) to a distance of 100 AU from the Sun
(planetary science)