TORONTO — Canadian satellite telecommunications company Kepler Communications announced today it has selected Tesat-Spacecom (TESAT), a German satellite payload equipment provider, to supply optical inter-satellite links for its next-generation constellation.
“TESAT’s ConLCT80 (constellation laser communication terminals) will be installed on Kepler’s first tranche of ÆTHER satellites, enabling optical service for The Kepler Network, a real-time, always-on communication network in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) providing the internet in space for space assets,” explains a Kepler press release.
Kepler’s next generation of satellites will provide data on-demand at up to 2.5 Gbps for the end user, according to the press release.
“The first orbital plane of the Kepler Network will be launched at 22:00 LTAN (local time of the ascending node) at an average altitude of 600 km and will be able to deliver a service at +/- one hour of that LTAN,” the release reads.
“The constellation will have satellites equipped with the TESAT ConLCT80, in addition to the company’s S-band always-on, inter-satellite link service and proprietary Ku-band terminal which serves as a high capacity backhaul link to the ground.”
The combination of optical, S-band, and Ku-band technologies “will allow compatibility with a wide range of customer mission requirements, allowing consistent communication with space assets, and enabling large amounts of data to be downlinked back to earth,” according to the release.
“This is a major milestone in the design and development of our second generation of satellites and future Kepler Network,” said Wen Cheng Chong, chief technology officer for Kepler, in the release. “TESAT’s optical inter-satellite links bring us one step closer to our mission of bringing the internet to space; amplifying mission communications and ensuring data can be received in real-time, all the time.”
“We are delighted to partner with Kepler on their mission to bring the Internet to space with our ConLCT80 for use in their satellite constellation,” said Matthias Motzigemba, head of sales, laser communication for Tesat-Spacecom. “Our terminals are compliant with the SDA standards and will readily support access to The Kepler Network for any mission needing a real-time downlink to Earth.”
The first Kepler satellites with optical service will launch in 2023, with the full constellation being launched by 2025, according to the press release.
“Combined with the company’s ground infrastructure, proven flight heritage, and regulatory licenses, The Kepler Network will provide a comprehensive solution for on-orbit communications, allowing customers to deliver larger quantities of space-generated data than previously possible,” the release says.
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