Taiwan to launch 3 locally made CubeSats in October

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) Taiwan will launch three domestically developed cube satellites in October as part of a mission led by the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), the agency announced Wednesday.

The satellites will be sent into orbit on board a SpaceX Transporter-15 rideshare flight, alongside FORMOSAT-8A (FS-8A), which is Taiwan's first self-developed optical remote sensing satellite -- designed to capture detailed images of Earth from space.

All three cube satellites were built by local companies under TASA's startup support program, which aims to grow Taiwan's presence in the global commercial satellite industry, TASA said in a press release.

Bellbird-1, developed by Tron Future Tech, will test Ka-band high-speed communications -- a type of satellite frequency that allows for fast data transmission -- and handover technology, which enables a satellite to smoothly pass off communication signals to another satellite or ground station as it moves in orbit.

Black Kite-1, built by Rapidtek Technologies Inc., will test satellite-based IoT (Internet of Things) systems used to collect data in remote environments, with potential applications in aquaculture, weather tracking and environmental monitoring.

TORO-8U-1, developed by Pyras Technology Inc., will carry out ocean color remote sensing, using specialized imaging to monitor algae, plankton and ocean health -- data that is valuable for deep-sea fisheries.

Each satellite is an 8U CubeSat, meaning it is a small, standardized satellite built in units (U) of 10x10x10 centimeters, TASA said.

Their compact size makes them ideal for testing new space technologies efficiently and at lower cost, TASA said, adding that the mission underscores Taiwan's expanding capabilities in commercial space development.