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Kepler

retired
Science ExplorationinterplanetaryCOSPAR 2009-011ALaunched 3/7/2009
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Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
Kepler Mission
Launch Vehicle
Delta 7925-10L
Launch Date
3/7/2009
Last Contact
10/30/2018
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
interplanetary
Altitude
-968,625.5 km
Inclination
28.53 deg
Dry Mass
1,040 kg
Total Mass
1,052 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Science Exploration
Payload Category
AST
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
NASA Ames Research Center
Manufacturer
BAE Systems
Registry
COSPAR ID
2009-011A
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/571
Track
Mentions
245
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

ESA awarded Kepler a €18.6 million contract for HydRON Element 3.

RelationshipsFinancialValue 4.5Apr 15, 2026Kepler awarded $30.1 million prime contract for European Space Agency HydRON optical network
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In late 2024, ESA awarded Kepler a €36 million contract to serve as the prime contractor for HydRON Element 1.

RelationshipsFinancialValue 5.0Apr 15, 2026Kepler awarded $30.1 million prime contract for European Space Agency HydRON optical network

Sophia Space’s software will remain in an isolated container on the Kepler network to test its ability to operate in orbit.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.5Apr 13, 2026Sophia Space and Kepler Sign Agreement to Demo ODC Tech

Sophia Space will upload SOOS to the Kepler network by the end of this year.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Apr 13, 2026Sophia Space and Kepler Sign Agreement to Demo ODC Tech

Sophia Space will partner with Kepler Communications to deploy Sophia Space’s SOOS operating system on Kepler’s distributed in-orbit compute network.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Apr 13, 2026Sophia Space and Kepler Sign Agreement to Demo ODC Tech

FedDev Ontario provided Kepler Communications a $7 million federal investment to commercialize Kepler’s Tranche 1 optical data relay network.

FinancialRelationshipsCapabilityGrowthValue 4.5Apr 7, 2026In Defence of Canada Briefing (Issue 4)

The Space Development Agency, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, and Kepler established a bi-directional link between a satellite and an aircraft in flight in August 2025.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Apr 3, 2026The Downlink Deficit: The Pentagon’s Optical Mesh Network and the Terrestrial Bottleneck

Kepler Communications integrated the Kepler Compute fabric with SDA-compatible optical inter-satellite links.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Mar 17, 2026Kepler Commissions First NVIDIA-Powered “Cloud Infrastructure” Across Optical Constellation

Future Kepler tranches will introduce 100-gigabit optical technology and increased GPU density.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.6Mar 17, 2026Kepler Commissions First NVIDIA-Powered “Cloud Infrastructure” Across Optical Constellation

Kepler Communications’ Kepler Compute fabric is powered by 40 NVIDIA Jetson Orin modules.

CapabilityValue 4.5Mar 17, 2026Kepler Commissions First NVIDIA-Powered “Cloud Infrastructure” Across Optical Constellation

NASA's Kepler Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) found most of the more than 6,000 confirmed exoplanets.

GeneralValue 3.2Mar 4, 2026Einstein effect clears planets from tight double star systems

Only 47 candidate planets around binary stars were found by Kepler and TESS surveys.

GeneralValue 2.2Mar 4, 2026Einstein effect clears planets from tight double star systems

Kepler’s optical network is planned to scale to 100 Gbps-class capacity with future tranches.

PlanCapabilityGrowthValue 3.0Feb 17, 2026Kepler Communications Names NanoAvionics as Preferred European Bus Provider for Optical Relay Missions

The Kepler–NanoAvionics partnership targets spacecraft with a mass of up to 500 kg for hosted payload initiatives.

RelationshipsCapabilityPlanValue 4.2Feb 17, 2026Kepler Communications Names NanoAvionics as Preferred European Bus Provider for Optical Relay Missions

The Kepler–NanoAvionics partnership will utilize U.S. Space Development Agency standards for secure, interoperable data transfer.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 17, 2026Kepler Communications Names NanoAvionics as Preferred European Bus Provider for Optical Relay Missions

The partnership focuses on integrating NanoAvionics’ platforms with The Kepler Network to provide satellite operators with real-time optical connectivity and on-orbit compute services.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.3Feb 17, 2026Kepler Communications Names NanoAvionics as Preferred European Bus Provider for Optical Relay Missions

The collaboration will initially focus on integrating Kepler services with the MP42 microsatellite platform before expanding to NanoAvionics’ CubeSat lines.

PlanRelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 17, 2026Kepler Communications Names NanoAvionics as Preferred European Bus Provider for Optical Relay Missions

NanoAvionics will use different optical inter-satellite links (OISL) across its MP42 microsatellite and cubesat platforms when offering Kepler’s services.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.2Feb 17, 2026Latest News

NanoAvionics will offer Kepler’s optical and on-orbit compute capabilities first on the NanoAvionics MP42 microsatellite and subsequently on its cubesat platforms.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Feb 17, 2026Latest News

The Kepler–NanoAvionics agreement allows hosted payloads on NanoAvionics buses to access Kepler Communications’ optical communications network.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.2Feb 17, 2026Kepler Plots European Expansion with NanoAvionics Deal