TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Black Kite-1 small satellite, jointly developed by Rapidtek Technologies and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US on Saturday, CNA reported.
The satellite has been deployed in an orbit of 500 to 600 km above Earth. It passes over Taiwan about once or twice daily, with each communication window lasting around five minutes. During these passes, data is transmitted through a domestically developed ground station to verify the satellite’s communication link performance.
The satellite aims to ensure system stability, test the company’s high-speed and low-speed communication capabilities, and assess the Taiwan Space Agency’s GPS receiver and space-grade general-purpose graphics processor.
Rapidtek Chair Wang Yi-hsiang (王奕翔) said the satellite’s launch marks a significant step for the company, moving from testing a single satellite to developing full satellite constellations. He added that Rapidtek will continue to enhance its communications payloads, array antennas, and the technology that enables satellites to communicate with one another in space.
Black Kite-1 is an upgraded version of the Nightjar CubeSat developed by the company and TASA. The new satellite offers expanded payload capacity and enhanced communications capabilities, allowing it to operate across a broader range of conditions.
Since 2023, the space agency has launched a CubeSat program and commissioned Rapidtek to develop four small satellites, Wang said. Following this initiative, the company will produce three additional satellites, with launches scheduled for next year.
Lin Chih-hung (林致宏), Rapidtek’s satellite project engineer, said that Black Kite is larger and more complex than previous satellites, posing significant development challenges. The team overcame obstacles at every stage, from design and integration to testing.
In 2022, the company partnered with test equipment manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz and Wispec to build a next-generation antenna laboratory. The facility tests and calibrates communication antennas that can be used for 5G networks, low-Earth orbit satellites, and automotive radar.
