Kepler Communications has appointed Caitlin Marsh as President of Kepler U.S. to lead the company's American expansion. Marsh brings 15 years of experience in aerospace and national security sectors. Kepler operates 33 satellites and the first commercial optical data relay constellation, providing real-time space connectivity with on-orbit compute and hosted payload capabilities. The company has demonstrated SDA-compatible optical links between spacecraft and successful space-to-ground connectivity. Marsh previously served as Senior Director of Global Operations at Auterion, where she delivered a $47 million international security initiative in six months. She also held positions at SpiderOak, Ball Aerospace, and In-Q-Tel, managing technology portfolios for US intelligence and defence customers. Kepler plans constellation expansion in 2028, introducing optical data rates up to 100 Gbps.

The Canadian Space Agency has awarded $804,000 contracts to MDA Space, Calian and Kepler to develop ground-segment concept studies for RADARSAT+, Canada's next-generation satellite system. The total funding amounts to $2.4 million. The three companies will deliver concepts for modern, flexible ground systems — the Earth-based satellite control and data management infrastructure. They must also provide implementation plans and technology overviews. The government allocated just over $1 billion in 2023 for Canada's Earth observation satellite needs, which support activities from monitoring illegal fishing to disaster relief. MDA Space and Kepler previously received $747,000 each in December to develop satellite concepts for the project. The contracts reflect Canada's renewed focus on space as a sovereign capability under its Defence Industrial Strategy.