Kepler Communications US Inc., a subsidiary of Kepler Communications, is partnering with NASA to exchange information and explore demonstration opportunities through a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement under the agency’s Communications Services Project (CSP).
This agreement will provide NASA insights into Kepler’s space data-relay capabilities, which complement the set of existing funded Space Act Agreements under CSP. Kepler will collaborate with NASA on current and future on-orbit capabilities that provide meaningful demonstrations of key NASA mission use cases.
Additionally, the demonstrations will provide valuable feedback to Kepler as the company launches its space data relay network. The Kepler Network provides customers with always-available coverage in LEO with sub-second end-to-end latency, gigabit throughputs, and onboard processing to enable access to space-generated data in near-real time.
NASA’s CSP was created to transition near-Earth missions from government to commercially owned space-relay communication networks. The project plans to deliver operational services to the Near Space Network by 2031.
“The hybrid architecture of our optical pathfinder satellites could provide many space-relay demonstration opportunities for NASA,” said Robert Conrad, Vice President of Business Development for Kepler Communications US. “Kepler is well-positioned to support NASA as they explore options to transition to commercially owned and operated communications systems.”