Rapidtek Technologies Inc.

Rapidtek announced that the 3U communications CubeSat “Nightjar,” developed in collaboration with Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), has successfully established two-way communication with the ground station and confirmed stable signal reception from its self-developed communications payload. The mission reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8, marking that Rapidtek’s in-house satellite system has passed real-world verification and is ready for commercial deployment. This milestone positions Rapidtek among the few private companies in Taiwan capable of delivering a fully integrated low Earth orbit (LEO) communications system, while signaling the emergence of domestic technology in the global satellite supply chain.
 

Nightjar: A Milestone for Private LEO Communications in Taiwan

Nightjar is one of Taiwan’s few LEO communications satellites designed, developed, and operated by a private enterprise. Beyond receiving beacon signals, the mission successfully completed two-way Ku-band payload testing, demonstrating Rapidtek’s capabilities in high-frequency communications design, manufacturing, and operations. To support this mission, Rapidtek partnered with National Taipei University of Technology to establish Taiwan’s first privately built Ku-band ground station, ensuring mission success and laying the foundation for future high-frequency satellite applications and commercial deployment.
 

Next : The 8U IoT CubeSat Program

Building on Nightjar’s success, Rapidtek has officially started the 8U IoT CubeSat Program.” Between late 2025 and mid-2026, four 8U CubeSats will be deployed via SpaceX Falcon 9 launches to form the foundation of a LEO IoT constellation, advancing the scale and commercialization of satellite communications. The first 8U CubeSat, “Black Kite-1,” has successfully passed environmental testing and is preparing for launch, while assembly of the second satellite is already underway.
 

Driving Taiwan’s LEO Future Through Innovation

With the success of Nightjar and the launch of the 8U CubeSat initiative, Rapidtek is steadily turning its vision “From Earth to Space” into reality, propelling Taiwan’s LEO communications technology onto the global stage.