It may sound like the log line for a low-budget sci-fi movie, but a Canadian company just launched a bunch of high-tech lasers into space.
What happened: Toronto-based space startup Kepler launched 10 of its low Earth orbit optical satellites into space yesterday, marking a major milestone toward building one of the world’s first commercially operational laser-based satellite networks.
Kepler, which was founded by a group of three University of Toronto classmates in 2015, became Canada’s largest satellite operator just a few years later with its first launch in 2021.
Its model is similar to how cloud computing works on Earth. Instead of building their own infrastructure, customers can use Kepler’s network to collect, store, and relay data without having to operate their own satellites.
Why it matters: The lasers that connect Kepler’s satellites allow data to be sent back home (and to other spaceborn craft) immediately, meaning they no longer have to wait to pass over a ground station on Earth to transmit information, a delay that can take hours.
In practical terms, that can mean faster wildfire and flood detection, quicker disaster response, and better military intelligence.
Bottom line: It’s a big deal — and a win for the country’s space industry — that a relatively small Canadian company is now going head-to-head with heavy hitters working on similar systems, like SpaceX and Amazon.—LA