The Kepler Network aims to streamline on-orbit communications with a network infrastructure acting as Internet exchange points (IXP) for space-to-space data relay. Credit: Kepler Communications
TAMPA, Fla. — Kepler Communications announced the start of commercial in-orbit optical data relay services Aug. 24, marking the smallsat operator’s expansion beyond the Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity business it began more than a decade ago.
The Canadian company said it had wrapped up commissioning for the first tranche of 10, roughly 300-kilogram satellites that SpaceX launched to low Earth orbit (LEO) in January.
The network uses intersatellite laser links to relay data between spacecraft, reducing the need for customers to wait for passes over ground stations to communicate with Earth.
According to Kepler, the first tranche supports links of up to 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbps), compatible with optical communications standards developed by the U.S. Space Development Agency.
