At 9:40am yesterday, the nation watched with much anticipation and excitement as FORMOSAT-3, a satellite jointly developed by Taiwan and the US, was launched from a US Air Force base in California.
The satellite was originally scheduled to lift off at 8:10am Taiwan time, but launch was delayed for 90 minutes because of a technical problem detected in the first stage of the rocket.
Lance Wu (
PHOTO: THE NATIONAL SPACE ORGANIZATION
"We found that the range for normal figures was set too strictly," Wu said. "Eventually, we determined the figures presented to us were acceptable, and it [the satellite] was launched after it was completely recharged."
The satellite consists of six microsatellites, each weighing 62kg.
According Wu, the fourth stage of the rocket entered the targeted orbit within 10 minutes. The main satellite then separated from the rocket and traveled on the orbit for about 14 minutes before the first microsatellite was ejected. The remaining satellites were then ejected at the rate of one every minute.
Wu said the six microsatellites had passed above the North Pole around noon and that NSPO had received signals from all of them. He added the satellites are 500km above the earth and the goal is to increase that to 800km.
The FORMOSAT-3 project, also known as "Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC)" project, is a joint venture between NSPO and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) of the US.
Its main purpose is to gather information to help meteorologists observe global climate change. It also aims to boost the precision of weather forecasts, particularly regarding typhoons, by 15 percent.
The six microsatellites will be used to receive signals from 24 US Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, enabling meteorologists to collect and analyze information from 2,500 monitoring points within three hours. The information will be updated every 100 minutes.
The research team faced many challenges before the launch. Earlier media reports said the NSPO might have to postpone the launch because of discrepancies in calculations between Taiwan and the US as to when the residual propellants in the fourth stage of the rockets would be consumed.
On Friday, the US Air Force was concerned that bad weather in California might interfere with the launch.
Taiwan is a major investor in the joint venture, providing NT$80 million (US$2.42 million). The national flag, however, was not allowed to be printed on the surface of the satellite.
After negotiating with officials in the US State Department, the US agreed to having the Chinese characters of Taiwan and Formosa printed on the surface, along with a map of the island covered in pictures of fruit and fish produced in Taiwan.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source