Kepler Communications Launches Largest Operational Satellite Compute Cluster

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:38:00 +0200

Canada’s Kepler Communications has launched the largest orbital compute cluster to date, comprising 10 satellites equipped with 40 Nvidia Orin edge processors, all connected via laser communication links. This cluster supports 18 customers, including Sophia Space, which is testing its unique orbital operating system across multiple GPUs on Kepler’s satellites. The initiative aims to process data in orbit, enhancing capabilities of space-based sensors for private and government applications. Kepler emphasizes its role as a networking infrastructure provider for satellites, drones, and aircraft, rather than a traditional data center company. Sophia Space focuses on passively-cooled processors, addressing one of the main challenges of orbit-based computing: overheating. Experts anticipate large-scale space data centers like those envisioned by SpaceX or Blue Origin will not appear until the 2030s. For now, edge processing in orbit provides timely and efficient data handling, benefiting ad