Taiwanese scientists and researchers have joined their counterparts from 15 other countries in the second phase of a cosmos research project using the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), according to Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Colonel Lo Shao-ho (羅紹和).
The AMS-02 project, launched by the US Department of Energy in 1999 in conjunction with 15 other countries, is designed to detect charged particles in cosmic rays to find anti-matter, dark matter and missing matter in the hope of answering questions about the -formation of the universe.
The first AMS project (AMS-01) started in 1994 using equipment deployed on the payload of the US space shuttle Discovery, which orbited the Earth for 10 days in the initial research mission in 1998. It was followed by AMS-02 in 1999.
On May 16, the US shuttle -Endeavour deployed the AMS -system on the International Space Station for a 15-year research mission.
The ambitious AMS projects were hosted by Chinese American Nobel laureate in physics Ting Chao-chung (丁肇中), who is also a member of Taiwan’s top research institute, Academia Sinica.
Lo said Taiwanese scientists are responsible for designing and manufacturing the project’s electronic system for transforming the data collected by the AMS detectors into electronic signals and sending them back to ground control. Joining the project represents a milestone for Taiwan in the development of indigenous satellite programs, he said.
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