National Central University × Next-generation Communications Research Center Building Taiwan’s Space Autonomy

This is a story where academic vision meets industrial ambition. Inside the laboratories of the Department of Space Science and Engineering at National Central University (NCU), the flickering red and green lights of precision instruments illuminate the faces of young students. Dozens of kilometers away, researchers at the Hon Hai Research Institute are strategizing ways to advance Taiwan’s communications capability from terrestrial networks to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment, 500 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

Professor Chi-Kuang Chao of NCU’s Department of Space Science and Engineering recalls that the Hon Hai Research Institute reached out to the university early on. The two parties engaged in two years of extensive communication and meshing. This process not only enabled the Next-generation Communications Research Center to grasp the complexities of space missions but also confirmed the private sector’s commitment to the space industry.

With government support for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) communications satellites, Professor Chao proposed the PEARL project. In the past, satellites often weighed hundreds of kilograms, cost billions of NT dollars, and required five to ten years of development. Instead of taking on the immense financial risks and spending years to develop large satellites, Professor Chao advised the Communications Research Center to adopt the CubeSat model. While this low-cost and short-cycle approach carries its own risks, it enables experimentation and rapid iteration essential for modern innovation.

Project PEARL utilizes a modular CubeSat architecture. During the first-generation mission, although the communication payload test results were not flawless, the team collected a vast amount of on-orbit data. They precisely recorded the temperature differentials between the satellite’s sun-facing and shaded sides, as well as the thermodynamic changes before and after solar panel deployment. This invaluable real-world experience was subsequently transformed into technical assets that fed directly into the second-generation mission.

Compared with the exploratory nature of the first generation, the primary objective of the second-generation PEARL is to enhance inter-satellite links. Professor Chao explained that at high orbital speeds, aligning two CubeSats for broadband data exchange is far more complex than traditional satellite-to-ground communication.

To manage increasingly complex payload integration and orbital environments, the NCU team implemented more rigorous testing standards and simulation processes for the second generation. Whereas subsystems had previously been assigned to individual students, they are now handled by teams of two or more, ensuring cross-verification and redundancy. By enhancing the stability of the Flight Software (FSW) to minimize human error and adjusting the orbital altitude, the team expects to significantly extend the mission’s operational lifespan.

Building a LEO Satellite Supply Chain

“The Next-generation Communications Research Center’s commitment to space communications is rare and exceptional,” Professor Chao observed. “Through deep integration with academia, they have established a complete pipeline spanning design, manufacturing, and verification.”

He further pointed out that starting with CubeSats provides companies a pragmatic path to assess domestic and international supply chain requirements at realistic costs. Only when firms understand how even a single screw or a communication payload performs in the harsh environment of space can Taiwan truly establish an independent LEO satellite supply chain.

Perhaps the most enduring impact lies in talent development. Within Project PEARL, NCU students work under strict launch deadlines, communicating and troubleshooting alongside Hon Hai engineers and researchers. The convergence of industry pace and academic rigor teaches students how to meet mission demands in real time.

Ultimately, the collaboration between NCU and Hon Hai serves as a definitive blueprint for building Taiwan’s autonomous LEO satellite supply chain. This vision, fueled by the synergy of academic depth and industrial strength, is being realized through these small CubeSats, lighting a path forward in the darkness of space.