Kepler launches eight new LEO satellites via SpaceX mission

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...