Kepler Communications will combine its optical data relay infrastructure with NorthStar’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) services under the terms of a new strategic partnership the two companies announced Thursday.
The deal comprises a payload hosting agreement that will see NorthStar’s optical SDA sensors and patented Space Information & Intelligence (Si2) platform hosted on Kepler satellites. The partners said the combination aims to meet a long-term goal of accelerating deployment of orbital sensing capabilities and critical space intelligence to global customers.
NorthStar’s headquarters is based in Montreal, Canada, but the company has a U.S. base of operations in Virginia for U.S. defense contracts. The company currently supports missions for clients, including: the Royal Canadian Armed Forces’ (RCAF); the U.S. Space Force Joint Commercial Operations; DARPA; the Luxembourg Space Agency; and the European Space Agency, among others.
“Kepler’s constellation was built to enable real-time space applications and move mission-critical data from orbit to the people and programs who need it most,” Kepler CEO Mina Mitry said in the announcement. “Partnering with NorthStar demonstrates how integrated space infrastructure can accelerate the deployment of advanced sensing missions while delivering timely, reliable access to the data they generate.”
