In this paper, an experimental communication payload (ECP) project of the Republic of China¡¦s ROCSAT-1 satellite program is introduced. The objective of the project is to study implementation techniques of the low earth orbit Ka-band satellite communication systems and to conduct Kaband satellite communication experiments to study the performance of the video/voice/data/fax transmission and Ka-band propagation effect. The ECP consists of three subsystems, termed the ECP space segment (ECPSS), ECP ground segment (ECPGS), and ECP Science Data Distribution Center (ESDDC). The ECPSS provides a Ka-band bent-pipe transponder and a downlink beacon. The ECPGS is comprised of a fixed ground station with both transmitting and receiving capabilities and a transportable receive only ground station. The ESDDC is responsible for scheduling the execution of various experiments, setup of configuration parameters of ECP, and dissemination of the pre-/post-experiment data.