NCKU CubeSat Successfully Launched, Able to Communicate with Ground for Continuous Missions
National Cheng Kung University's "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat, developed by the Hsia Han-Min Space Center team, was successfully launched today from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. It will be able to communicate with ground stations to continue its missions, which include environmental monitoring, disaster research, and space weather observation.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 20:26
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 20:31 (5 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 20:34 (2 min after Collected)
NEWS CENTER
(Central News Agency Reporter Yang Szu-Jui, Tainan, 3rd) National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Hsia Han-Min Space Center team's "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat was successfully launched today from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. In the future, it will be able to communicate with ground stations to continuously operate its missions.
NCKU issued a press release stating that the Hsia Han-Min Space Technology Center promotes CubeSat missions. This afternoon, a live broadcast of the launch was held. The "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat, entirely built by NCKU faculty and students from structural design, power, and communication systems to attitude control and software integration, was carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, into a low Earth orbit approximately 590 kilometers above the ground.
NCKU pointed out that after entering space, "Gemini-Pollux" will continue to assist in missions conducive to environmental monitoring, disaster research, space weather observation, and popular science education. This includes observing ionospheric changes above Earth, studying the upper atmosphere environment, taking Earth images, and communicating with the ground through amateur radio equipment.
NCKU also noted that, in addition to the satellite itself, a satellite ground station was also established this time, utilizing Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology to develop satellite communication, telemetry reception, and control capabilities.
NCKU emphasized that the team not only sent the satellite into space but also strengthened the practical implementation of ground reception signals and monitoring status, allowing students to deeply participate in subsequent mission operations. This makes the "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat mission not just a launch achievement but also a crucial step in establishing complete space mission capabilities and cultivating future operations talent.
Lin Chia-Ting, assistant professor at NCKU's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, stated that over four years, starting from 2022, the team invested much effort from design and development to pre-integration. This allowed students to learn how to face and solve problems in real missions and accumulate practical experience required for future engagement in the space industry.
Lin Chia-Ting said that once a satellite enters space, it cannot be disassembled for repair. Therefore, all potential problems in space must first be resolved on the ground. The satellite development process involved hundreds of functional tests, vibration tests, and thermal vacuum tests. Students were able to participate in the intricate and precise processes of a real space mission and enabled the team to actually engage in satellite in-orbit operations and data analysis.
NCKU pointed out that the "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat mission combines several Taiwanese local space industry partners, and in the future, it will fulfill its mission objectives, assist Taiwan in collecting relevant research data, and allow the world to see this significant achievement of Taiwan's industry-academia collaboration. (Editor: Chang Ming-Kun) 1150503
(Central News Agency Reporter Yang Szu-Jui, Tainan, 3rd) National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Hsia Han-Min Space Center team's "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat was successfully launched today from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. In the future, it will be able to communicate with ground stations to continuously operate its missions.
NCKU issued a press release stating that the Hsia Han-Min Space Technology Center promotes CubeSat missions. This afternoon, a live broadcast of the launch was held. The "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat, entirely built by NCKU faculty and students from structural design, power, and communication systems to attitude control and software integration, was carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, into a low Earth orbit approximately 590 kilometers above the ground.
NCKU pointed out that after entering space, "Gemini-Pollux" will continue to assist in missions conducive to environmental monitoring, disaster research, space weather observation, and popular science education. This includes observing ionospheric changes above Earth, studying the upper atmosphere environment, taking Earth images, and communicating with the ground through amateur radio equipment.
NCKU also noted that, in addition to the satellite itself, a satellite ground station was also established this time, utilizing Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology to develop satellite communication, telemetry reception, and control capabilities.
NCKU emphasized that the team not only sent the satellite into space but also strengthened the practical implementation of ground reception signals and monitoring status, allowing students to deeply participate in subsequent mission operations. This makes the "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat mission not just a launch achievement but also a crucial step in establishing complete space mission capabilities and cultivating future operations talent.
Lin Chia-Ting, assistant professor at NCKU's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, stated that over four years, starting from 2022, the team invested much effort from design and development to pre-integration. This allowed students to learn how to face and solve problems in real missions and accumulate practical experience required for future engagement in the space industry.
Lin Chia-Ting said that once a satellite enters space, it cannot be disassembled for repair. Therefore, all potential problems in space must first be resolved on the ground. The satellite development process involved hundreds of functional tests, vibration tests, and thermal vacuum tests. Students were able to participate in the intricate and precise processes of a real space mission and enabled the team to actually engage in satellite in-orbit operations and data analysis.
NCKU pointed out that the "Gemini-Pollux" CubeSat mission combines several Taiwanese local space industry partners, and in the future, it will fulfill its mission objectives, assist Taiwan in collecting relevant research data, and allow the world to see this significant achievement of Taiwan's industry-academia collaboration. (Editor: Chang Ming-Kun) 1150503