January 12, 2026 A Canadian space company is about to make history. On Sunday, Toronto-based Kepler Communications will launch 10 low Earth orbit (LEO) optical satellites. This would mark the first time commercially operational optical satellites have been deployed into space.
The satellites will lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying what Kepler says is a next-generation communications system designed to move large volumes of data in real time using laser-based links rather than traditional radio frequencies.
What sets this launch apart is not just the use of optical links, but what Kepler plans to do with them. Unlike conventional satellites that rely on radio frequencies and push most processing back to Earth, Kepler’s new spacecraft are designed to handle data in orbit. Each 300-kilogram satellite is equipped with onboard GPUs and terabytes of storage, allowing operators to process, store, and analyze information in space, including running artificial intelligence workloads, before sending only what matters back to the ground. That capability could reduce latency, limit the amount of raw data transmitted back to Earth and improve resilience for customers operating in contested or remote environments.
The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the satellite internet and communications market. Startups, established aerospace firms, and tech giants are all racing to build next-generation networks in low Earth orbit. Amazon is expanding its Project Kuiper constellation, while traditional defence contractors like Lockheed Martin Corp. continue to push deeper into space-based communications. Governments, meanwhile, are pouring money into space infrastructure as defence spending rises worldwide.
Space is increasingly viewed as a critical domain for national security, with governments investing heavily in resilient communications and surveillance capabilities that can operate independently of terrestrial infrastructure. Canada is one of the countries positioning itself to benefit from that shift, having recently committed nearly $183 million over three years to develop domestic space launch capabilities under its new Defence Industrial Strategy. The federal government has also pledged $528.5 million to support Canadian participation in European Space Agency programs.
Kepler is already plugged into that ecosystem. The company has secured contracts with both the Canadian and European space agencies, including work on Canada’s next-generation Earth-observation satellites and Europe’s optical laser communications network. Founded in 2015 by chief executive Mina Mitry and three former University of Toronto classmates, the startup has raised more than $200 million so far and is seeking additional funding to scale its ambitions.
Sunday’s launch is only the beginning, as Kepler plans to send another 10 optical satellites into orbit in 2028.
