An advanced ionospheric probe developed by Taiwanese researcher Chao Chi-kuang (趙吉光) has piqued the interest of the scientific community, with overseas universities reaching out to Chao seeking collaboration for further development.
Universities in the US and India and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University have expressed an interest in collaboration, said Chao, director of National Central University’s Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research.
The probe, nicknamed the “Space Cube” due to its shape, was used on Formosat-3 and Formosat-5, Chao said, adding that the module on the newer satellite is more advanced.
The module on Formosat-3 requires two to three months to complete one global ionospheric parameter distribution chart, while the Formosat-5 version can complete a chart in two days, offering greater data accuracy and higher efficiency, due to its orbit cycle, Chao said.
Liu Jann-yenq (劉正彥), Chao’s colleague at the center, said that ionospheric density is an important seismo-ionospheric precursor, as data have shown that ionospheric density changes radically directly above the epicenter of an earthquake.
Formosat-5 had observed an abnormal accretion of ionospheric density nine days before a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Iran-Iraq border last year, Liu said.
The probe uploads data on a daily basis, but the institute is using such information only for research, Chao said.
“We cannot provide real-time analysis of the data due to limited personnel at the institute and large quantities of data,” Chao said.
Prediction of seismic activity would be possible if the institute receives help from agencies such as the Central Weather Bureau, he added.
Priority access to the probe’s data will be given to domestic atmospheric researchers from March and be opened to researchers in other fields in June, Chao said.
All data will be uploaded to the Internet for global use by the end of this year, he added.
As of Oct. 31, the probe had undergone 170 hours of testing in space and uploaded about 1 gigabyte (GB) of orbital test data for the local ground control center to calibrate Formosat-5 for optimal observation, Chao said.
Since calibration was completed on Nov. 1, the satellite has uploaded more than 8.5GB of data, he said.
More advanced versions of the probe are to be carried by Formosat-7, he added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS