The “Zhongque” series’ third and fourth low-Earth-orbit communication satellites, T.MicroSat-3 and T.MicroSat-4, developed by Taiwan startup Future Technology, will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission. Exolaunch, the German launch integration provider that previously sent Zhongque-1 and Zhongque-2 to space, will handle the integration again. After the two satellites reach orbit, the Zhongque four-satellite star system will be fully assembled.
Taiwan’s next chapter in low Earth orbit connectivity is heading to space
Exolaunch continues our partnership with @Tron_Future_, supporting the launch of T.MicroSat-3 and T.MicroSat-4 aboard @SpaceX’s upcoming Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission. pic.twitter.com/1w0Xrauli1
— Exolaunch (@Exolaunch) September 21, 2026
Taiwan’s “Zhongque” galaxy is assembled with four satellites! Two satellites will launch aboard a SpaceX rocket
Germany’s launch integrator Exolaunch announced on X that it will continue its cooperation with Taiwan’s Tron Future Tech, helping its two satellites, T.MicroSat-3 and T.MicroSat-4, launch as part of the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission scheduled for SpaceX, and describing the mission as “the next chapter of Taiwan’s low-Earth orbit connectivity.”
These two satellites are the last two pieces of the “Zhongque” galaxy puzzle. “Zhongque” is in the second phase of the National Space Organization (TASA) “New Startup Star-Chasing Program.” The program began in 2023. Three domestic companies each take responsibility for a four-satellite constellation. The mission scope ranges from satellite development and launch all the way to ground-station operations and application services, with the goal of nurturing a complete end-to-end low-Earth orbit satellite industry chain in Taiwan.
The one Tron Future Tech is responsible for is the broadband communications constellation, consisting of four 8U CubeSats. The company handles the entire mission—from mission planning, satellite integration, launch, and operations.
The first two satellites also rode on a SpaceX rocket! They have already carried out the full mission in space
Zhongque-1 launched aboard SpaceX Transporter-15 in November 2025. The primary payload on the same flight was the first衛卫八号 satellite built by TASA. Zhongque-2, meanwhile, launched on March 30, 2026 aboard Transporter-16 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
In May this year, Tron Future Tech announced that both Zhongque-1 and Zhongque-2’s Ka-band communication systems have completed downlink link validation. Using tablet-style user terminals developed by the company themselves, they successfully received signals and entered the end-to-end communications service validation phase. Both satellites also passed TASA’s flight operations readiness review in April and began executing the full mission.
What will Zhongque-3 and Zhongque-4 do? Data transmission is the biggest highlight
According to the plans Tron Future Tech previously announced, the “Zhongque” constellation will be built in two phases: Satellites 1 and 2 belong to the first phase, focusing on validating the communication payload itself. After Satellites 3 and 4 lift off, the constellation moves into the second phase, and inter-satellite communication capabilities will begin testing.
Inter-satellite link (ISL) is the most crucial new mission this time. In the past, satellites had to send data back to a ground station first before relaying it onward; with inter-satellite communication, satellites can exchange data directly in space. According to the original design specifications, the ISL data rate for the Zhongque satellites is 1 Mbps.
Once all four satellites are in place, the test scope will expand from a single satellite to the entire constellation. One of the goals Tron Future Tech set for this mission is to build a B5G/6G technology testing platform for low-Earth orbit constellations, while also validating whether a low-orbit CubeSat constellation can be quickly deployed and provide broadband communications.
Who sends Taiwan’s satellites to the rocket? The rideshare partnership comes into view
Satellite operators typically do not buy an entire SpaceX rocket directly; instead, they go through a “launch integrator” to handle it on their behalf. For example, Exolaunch purchases launch fairing capacity from SpaceX and other rocket providers, then resells it to satellite customers in other countries, and also handles satellite integration, testing, transport, regulatory procedures, and separation devices that eject the satellites after reaching orbit. For Taiwan’s startups, using an integrator to book a rideshare flight is one of the main ways to obtain space validation opportunities at lower cost and on shorter timelines.
Exolaunch’s headquarters is in Berlin, Germany. It originated as a spin-off from the Technical University of Berlin, and it has offices in the United States, France, and Japan. Its cooperation with SpaceX began with the first launch agreement signed in 2020, after which it became one of the core partners in SpaceX’s small-satellite rideshare business.
In November 2025, Exolaunch represented TASA to integrate and send three CubeSats from the New Startup Star-Chasing Program, including Zhongque-1. In March’s Transporter-16, Zhongque-2 was also included on Exolaunch’s launch manifest. On the same flight there were also satellites from other Taiwanese companies. This time, Zhongque-3 and Zhongque-4 will be the next mission continuing the collaboration between the two sides.
This article: Taiwan’s communications satellites will be completed with four satellites! Zhongque-3 and Zhongque-4 will launch aboard a SpaceX rocket. First appeared in .