TORONTO — Canadian satellite telecommunications provider Kepler Communications announced Sunday the successful launch of eight new GEN1 satellites, expanding its active low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation to 13 satellites in total currently.
These new satellites (named Kepler-8 through Kepler-15) were launched via SpaceX’s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission Sunday morning, after a one-day delay due to bad weather.
The GEN1 satellites were assembled at Kepler’s production facility in Toronto and represent an evolution beyond Kepler’s pathfinder satellites, with an increase in size compared to its 6U-XL satellite system, says the company’s press release.
The increased size of the satellites accommodates technology enhancements such as additional power and antenna capabilities that allow the support of both Ku and narrowband spectrum from a single satellite, says Kepler. The multi-spectrum support is achieved with Kepler’s proprietary software defined radio (SDR) which has been proven onboard the five satellites already in orbit, says the press release.
“As our network continues to grow, we move closer to recognizing Kepler’s vision of providing connectivity on and off the surface of the Earth,” said Mina Mitry, CEO of Kepler Communications, in the release.
Wen Cheng Chong, CTO of Kepler Communications, added: “The launch of eight GEN1 satellites on the Falcon 9 merely a few months after the launch of 2 GEN1 pathfinder satellites clearly demonstrates Kepler’s ability to 10x our capability in a short period of time; practically unheard of for a company of our size. This showcases the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our engineering team and the company at large. We’re well on our way to recognizing Kepler’s vision of providing the internet in space.”
Kepler says its has more launches planned for the first half of 2021 in March and June, which will add additional GEN1 satellites to the company’s LEO constellation.
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(Photo above borrowed from Kepler’s press release on its website. Kepler sent us the one of the satellites themselves below.)
