Rapidtek Announces Launch of Black Kite-1 CubeSat for LEO IoT
Rapidtk has announced the successful launch of Black Kite-1, an 8U CubeSat built for the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) under the Startup CubeSat Program. The spacecraft rode to orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-15 mission, shifting Rapidtek from single-satellite validation to the first phase of its planned multi-satellite IoT constellation.
Black Kite-1 represents a significant upgrade from the earlier 3U Nightjar satellite, incorporating expanded payload capacity and more advanced communications hardware. Operating in a 500–600 km Sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite will validate Ku-band high-speed links, LoRa low-rate IoT connectivity, onboard GPS performance, and TASA’s space-grade GPGPU, key components for future constellation-scale services.
The mission reflects Taiwan’s growing industrial capability in satellite communications. Rapidtek executed the program with ITRI and launch integrator Exolaunch, while also developing its own ground segment to test end-to-end system performance. The company plans to launch three additional 8U satellites in 2026, forming the foundation of a domestic LEO IoT network aimed at real-time data relay for remote or underserved areas.