Program: Kepler

S2981

Telecommunication program from Kepler Communications, Canada.
The constellation should operate in Ku-band, with 140 spacecraft in 7 planes, 20 satellites per plane.
Aims at providing low cost communications with objects.
Satellites to be manufactured in Toronto, on a 6U architecture (12 kg), based on the Spartan bus.

The FCC approved market access in Nov 2018 in downlink 10.7-12.7 GHz and uplink in 14.0-14.5 GHz
50% of the satellites must be operational by 19 Nov 2024

The company announced a launch with Innovative Space Logistics BV (ISL) in 2020q3.

The Kipp satellite demonstrated data rates of 38 Mbps down, 120 Mbps up to a 2.4 m Ku-band VSAT on a vessel at 85°N.

In June 2021 the company raised $60 million through Series B to expand operations. Said to be able to produce 10 satellites per month in-house.

In Nov 2021 the company applied for a small constellation of 332 satellites at 600 km altitude, and a much larger constellation of 114,582 operating in 1152 different orbits ranging between 200 and 1000 kms in altitude.

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External resources

https://keplercommunications.com/

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