Elodie Collins 
Kepler Communications has launched the first tranche of its optical data relay satellites to orbit.
The Toronto, Canada-based company said Sunday that its satellites lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch included 10 satellites to support low-latency data transfer, secure routing and edge processing in space.
The Potomac Officers Club will host a panel on advancing secure and interoperable IT to support space operations at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29. The highly anticipated GovCon summit will bring together leaders from industry and the Department of War to discuss the capabilities American warfighters need to win against global adversaries. Do not miss your chance to gain actionable insights directly from defense leaders or form partnerships with top industry players. Click here to secure your tickets.
The spacecraft will now undergo commissioning for the transition of Kepler’s optical relay network from development to operational status.
What Capabilities Do the Satellites Provide?
Kepler’s satellites are equipped with high-capacity optical terminals designed to be compatible with the Space Development Agency’s standards and multi-GPU on-orbit compute modules with terabytes of storage.
“Our optical relay satellites make it possible for users to rapidly deploy their missions with a real-time, connected, cloud environment, fundamentally changing how data flows on orbit and what space systems can achieve for people and planet,” stated Kepler co-founder and CEO Mina Mitry.
Kepler plans to launch satellite tranches to expand its network capacity and capabilities. The company said it will launch a 100-gigabit optical technology designed to align with current and future standards.
What Happened During Kepler’s Demonstration of Space-to-Ground Optical Data Relay?
Kepler has previously demonstrated space-to-ground optical data relay through a partnership with French optical ground station provider Cailabs. The companies conducted data transmissions between Kepler’s Pathfinder satellite in low Earth orbit, equipped with TESAT’s SCOT80 terminal, and Cailabs’ ground station in France.
Kepler said the demonstrations met the Space Development Agency’s required data rates and link acquisition standards.
