Rapidtek Launches Black Kite-1 IoT CubeSat with Taiwan Space Agency

Rapidtek Technologies Inc. has successfully launched the Black Kite-1 satellite, an 8U IoT CubeSat developed in collaboration with the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), announced in a press release. The satellite reached orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-15 mission, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:44 a.m. Taiwan time on November 29.

The mission marks the start of Rapidtek’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation program. Black Kite-1, an upgraded version of Rapidtek’s earlier 3U CubeSat Nightjar, is deployed in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of around 500 to 600 kilometers. The satellite passes over Taiwan one to two times per day, with communication windows of about five minutes.

The mission’s objectives include validating system stability, pointing accuracy, and Rapidtek’s Ku-band high-speed and LoRa low-data-rate communication payloads. It also tests a high-precision GPS receiver and a space-grade GPGPU provided by TASA. Using self-developed ground stations, Rapidtek will verify end-to-end data relay from space to ground.

Rapidtek plans to continue its constellation program with three additional 8U IoT CubeSats scheduled for launch in 2026. These satellites will expand Taiwan’s capabilities in LEO communications and support real-time data transmission for IoT applications in remote or underserved regions.