Toronto-based Kepler Communications is launching its first wave of orbital data centre satellites in California on Sunday morning, but space nerds can watch from anywhere.
If successful, Kepler will be the first to launch a low-earth orbit satellite system based on an optical relay network.
Ten 300-kilogram-class satellites built in Toronto will be on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in the early morning hours of Jan. 11. If everything goes right, the tech will launch into space within the 57-minute launch window, beginning at 5:19 a.m. PST (8:19 a.m. EST), marking the beginning of Kepler’s next-generation satellite constellation.
A live webcast of the “Twilight Mission” will begin about 15 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX’s website, or on its X social media account, @SpaceX. If the mission is pushed back due to weather or other factors, there is a backup window for launch on Monday, Jan. 12, within the same timeframe.
Kepler says each satellite in the network is equipped with a minimum of four optical terminals, enabling laser links between space, air, and ground assets. The relay network enables data to be processed and analyzed directly in space rather than waiting for a downlink to Earth.
“Optical data relay is redefining how space systems communicate, operate, and deliver value,” Kepler CEO and co-founder Mina Mitry said when the mission was first announced in November. “It removes the high latency and bottlenecks of traditional RF [radio frequency] links and allows our customers to move data continuously, securely, and at the speed of light.”
Assuming Sunday’s launch goes off without a hitch, Kepler will be the first in the world to launch a low-earth orbit satellite system based on an optical relay network, Kepler backer John Ruffolo told BetaKit in an email on Friday. This means a Canadian company would beat out similar projects from the big names like Amazon and Starlink. Following the initial launch, Kepler plans to send more satellites into space to expand its optical data relay network, increase capacity, and add new capabilities.
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Kepler was founded in 2015 to provide constant, real-time data links in space. In March of 2021, a two-vehicle launch made Kepler the largest satellite operator in Canada, with 15 satellites in orbit at the time. Kepler has raised over $200 million in equity funding, including a $122.7-million CAD Series C round in 2023.
In April 2025, Kepler secured the first customer for its on-orbit computing services. Houston, Texas-based Axiom Space, the company best known for completing the first privately crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station in 2022, purchased two of Kepler’s payloads to provide cloud computing for both public and private customers. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield joined Kepler as an advisor in October and has publicly cheered on the company’s imminent launch. Ruffolo told BetaKit that he will be present at Sunday’s launch alongside Hadfield and former Rogers CEO Joe Natale.
Feature image courtesy SpaceX.