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Comtech, Kepler to Drive Rapidly Deployable LEO Comms

By Adrienne Harebottle | June 6, 2018
Kipp, Kepler’s first Ku-band LEO satellite

An artistic view of Kipp, Kepler’s first Ku-band LEO satellite. Photo Credit: Kepler

Comtech EF Data, a subsidiary within Comtech Telecommunications’ Commercial Solutions segment, and Kepler Communications, a nano-satellite telecommunications company, have announced a collaboration to advance rapidly deployable, low-cost, low-latency communications via Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and ground station infrastructure equipment.

Kepler’s first Ku-band LEO satellite, Kipp, was launched on Jan. 19, enabling data offload services to remote communities and maritime markets. Kipp is the first in a planned constellation of up to 140 LEO satellites that will provide real-time global connectivity by 2022. Today, KIPP is tasked with delivering Kepler’s store-and-forward service for the transmission of latent tolerable data.

Kepler is contracted with Comtech EF Data’s AHA Products Group to provide the on-board satellite waveform processing technology to operate on its flexible software-defined satellite radio payload. Kepler also contracted with Comtech EF Data to provide its CDM-760 Advanced High-Speed Trunking and Broadcast Modem to perform satellite-to-ground testing and ground-to-satellite data services.