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Kepler Satellites to Launch on Rocket Lab's Neutron in 2028
11 Aug
Summary
- Kepler booked its first dedicated launch for 2028 on Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket.
- New satellites will support up to 100 Gbps data rates, a significant upgrade.
- This expansion is driven by growing customer demand for optical connectivity.
Kepler Communications is set to deploy its next-generation optical relay satellites in 2028, utilizing Rocket Lab's upcoming Neutron rocket. This marks Kepler's first dedicated launch mission as the company scales up its constellation to meet escalating customer demand for advanced optical connectivity, on-orbit compute, and hosted payload capacity.
The upcoming satellites represent a substantial leap in performance, designed to support data rates of up to 100 Gbps, a tenfold increase from the current 2.5 Gbps offered by their existing LEO relay network. This upgrade is crucial for Kepler's business expansion, which has already seen significant revenue growth and paved the way for a hosted payload division.
Tranche 2 of Kepler's constellation will also house ten satellites for the European Space Agency's HydRON program, aiming to demonstrate a high-capacity transport system. This deployment schedule is contingent on Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket debut, which is anticipated following recent testing. The agreement with Kepler is part of a growing list of contracts for Rocket Lab's new medium-lift vehicle.
