In a landmark moment for Canada's commercial space sector, a Toronto-based telecommunications company is preparing to launch a fleet of advanced satellites aimed at creating the first commercially operational data centres in orbit.
Historic Launch Set for Sunday
Kepler Communications Inc. is poised to send ten of its low Earth orbit (LEO) optical satellites into space this Sunday. The launch represents a significant first: the deployment of commercially operational optical satellites designed for data processing and storage in space.
The company will load its 300-kilogram satellites onto a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket is scheduled for an early morning liftoff from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Building the Infrastructure for a Space-Based Internet
Once operational, Kepler's satellite network is designed to be a game-changer. It will facilitate real-time data relay and streaming for a wide array of applications. These include defence and national security operations, earth observation, and commercial space missions.
The core innovation lies in its on-orbit computing capability. This technology allows operators to process, store data, and even run artificial intelligence workloads directly in space, bypassing the need to send all information back to Earth. To enable this, the satellites are equipped with graphics processing units (GPUs) capable of operating in orbit and include terabytes of onboard storage.
The company has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to send ten more optical satellites to space in 2028 to further build out its constellation.
A Competitive Market and Canada's Strategic Push
Kepler's launch comes amid intense competition in the satellite internet and space services sector. Startups like Kepler are vying for market share alongside giants such as SpaceX and Amazon's Project Kuiper, as well as traditional aerospace leaders like Lockheed Martin Corp. This commercial race is happening concurrently with governments worldwide ramping up defence spending, with space increasingly viewed as a critical domain for communications and security.
Canada is positioning itself to capture a significant piece of the growing space economy. A November 2025 Royal Bank of Canada report projected that Canada's space economy could grow fourfold to $21 billion by 2035. The global space market is expected to triple to a staggering US$1.8 trillion over the same period.
The federal government has outlined clear space and defence ambitions. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the government has allocated nearly $183 million over three years to develop domestic space launch capabilities, reducing reliance on foreign providers. This initiative is part of Canada's new Defence Industrial Strategy.
Additionally, Ottawa has committed $528.5 million for European Space Agency (ESA) programs, designed to help Canadian companies forge deeper ties with space and defence projects in Europe.
Kepler's Growing Role and Background
Kepler is already embedded in these strategic plans. The company has secured contracts with both the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). In December 2025, the CSA contracted Kepler to develop a concept study for Canada's next-generation earth observation satellite system. Earlier, in October 2024, the ESA selected the startup to assist in developing its optical laser network.
The company was co-founded in 2015 by CEO Mina Mitry and three of his former University of Toronto engineering classmates. To date, Kepler has raised more than US$200 million in funding and is actively seeking additional capital to fuel its expansion.
This weekend's launch from Vandenberg is more than just another rocket mission; it is a tangible step toward a future where data centres orbit the Earth, powering a new era of global connectivity and space-based innovation from a home base in Toronto.
