Taiwan's second Formosat-8 satellite completes testing, launch set for early 2027

The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) said on 15 October 2026 that Formosat-8B (FS-8B), the second satellite in its Formosat-8 optical Earth observation constellation, has been assembled and has passed environmental testing. It is due to be shipped to the United States by the end of 2026 and launched on a SpaceX rocket in the first quarter of 2027.

The first satellite, FS-8A, launched in November 2025 and, according to TASA, has produced imagery that exceeds the project's original goals. The constellation is planned to have eight satellites, six at 1 m resolution and two at a finer resolution, deployed by 2031 with a target of imaging a given location three times a day. In July, TASA signed image-distribution contracts with Interactive Digital Technologies, National Central University's Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research and ThinkTron, to expand sales abroad.

Why it matters: Formosat-8 is adding sub-metre commercial optical imagery to the market, with distributors targeting global sales. African users of Earth observation data may gain another source of high-resolution imagery as more satellites reach orbit.