National Central University and Foxconn Partner to Build Satellites, to be Launched by Rocket for Communication Experiments
National Central University and Hon Hai Technology Group's jointly developed interstellar broadband communication CubeSats, "Pearl ISL," are scheduled to launch on May 3rd via a SpaceX rocket to conduct communication experiments.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 12:16
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TAIPEI (Central News Agency reporter Hsu Chih-wei, 3rd) -- National Central University and Hon Hai Technology Group's jointly developed interstellar broadband communication CubeSats, "Pearl ISL," are expected to launch at 3 PM Taiwan time on May 3rd from the United States via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, to conduct interstellar broadband communication experiments and space environment exploration.
National Central University today issued a press release stating that following their first collaboration two years ago on the broadband communication CubeSat Pearl 1C and 1H missions, National Central University and Hon Hai Technology Group are once again collaborating on "Pearl ISL," which consists of two CubeSats, PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B.
National Central University stated that the two CubeSats are equipped with multiple payloads, including interstellar communication payloads manufactured by Ryan Electric, and independently developed small ionospheric detectors and solar cell payloads by National Central University. They will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to a 590-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, where they will conduct a five-year mission for interstellar broadband communication experiments and space environment exploration.
The interstellar communication payloads were commissioned by National Central University to Ryan Electric, a domestic manufacturer, to verify the software and hardware technologies developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Information and Communications Research Laboratories. This is the first time in Taiwan that dual satellites will be used to verify Ka-band interstellar broadband links and improve Ka-band broadband communication between satellites and the ground. In the future, this can assist domestic low-Earth orbit satellite communication terminal equipment manufacturers in conducting communication tests with satellites.
National Central University mentioned that the small ionospheric detector will for the first time use dual satellites for co-orbital observation to reveal and distinguish the spatiotemporal variations of ionospheric plasma density irregularities in equatorial regions, which will help clarify the causes and extent of interference in space communication. The solar cell payload received a research project subsidy for college students from the National Science and Technology Council, allowing for the first in-orbit engineering demonstration of solar cells developed by domestic manufacturer Hontai Optoelectronics and the Institute of Physics of the National Atomic Energy Technology Institute. (Editor: Guan Chung-wei) 1150503
National Central University today issued a press release stating that following their first collaboration two years ago on the broadband communication CubeSat Pearl 1C and 1H missions, National Central University and Hon Hai Technology Group are once again collaborating on "Pearl ISL," which consists of two CubeSats, PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B.
National Central University stated that the two CubeSats are equipped with multiple payloads, including interstellar communication payloads manufactured by Ryan Electric, and independently developed small ionospheric detectors and solar cell payloads by National Central University. They will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to a 590-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, where they will conduct a five-year mission for interstellar broadband communication experiments and space environment exploration.
The interstellar communication payloads were commissioned by National Central University to Ryan Electric, a domestic manufacturer, to verify the software and hardware technologies developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Information and Communications Research Laboratories. This is the first time in Taiwan that dual satellites will be used to verify Ka-band interstellar broadband links and improve Ka-band broadband communication between satellites and the ground. In the future, this can assist domestic low-Earth orbit satellite communication terminal equipment manufacturers in conducting communication tests with satellites.
National Central University mentioned that the small ionospheric detector will for the first time use dual satellites for co-orbital observation to reveal and distinguish the spatiotemporal variations of ionospheric plasma density irregularities in equatorial regions, which will help clarify the causes and extent of interference in space communication. The solar cell payload received a research project subsidy for college students from the National Science and Technology Council, allowing for the first in-orbit engineering demonstration of solar cells developed by domestic manufacturer Hontai Optoelectronics and the Institute of Physics of the National Atomic Energy Technology Institute. (Editor: Guan Chung-wei) 1150503