Two cubesats developed by Taiwanese researchers were scheduled to be launched by Space Exploration Technologies Corp’s (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida between 22:24pm and 23:24pm last night.
However, SpaceX at 10:37pm tweeted that due to unfavorable weather, it was delaying the launch until tonight.
The Transporter-1 mission is the first to be part of the company’s SmallSat Rideshare Program, according to the SpaceX Web site.
“On board this launch are 133 commercial and government spacecraft (including cubesats, microsats, and orbital transfer vehicles) and 10 Starlink satellites — the most spacecraft ever deployed on a single mission,” the Web site said.
The Ionospheric Dynamics Explorer and Attitude Subsystem Satellite, weighing 4.2kg, was developed by National Central University’s (NCU) Department of Space Science and Engineering for ionospheric observation.
It is the first cubesat developed by NCU, and about 30 teachers and students were involved, department professor Liu Jann-yenq (劉正彥) said, adding that they plan to launch two more cubesats next year.
Hopefully, each year in the department would “adopt” a cubesat, as it would be a good opportunity to train talent, Liu added.
The YuSat, weighing 1.6kg, was developed by MoGaMe Mobile Entertainment Co (騰暉電信), Letscom International Ltd (雷斯康) and KYLink Communications Corp (冠宇國際電訊), along with National Taiwan Ocean University, to monitor maritime traffic.
They are to settle into orbit 525km above the Earth after they leave the rocket 65 minutes after launch, said the Ministry of Science and Technology in a news release.
They are two of three cubesats selected by the National Space Organization (NSPO) for a microsatellite program that began in 2017 with a total budget of NT$37 million (US$1.3 million), including commission fees for three space services agents, it added.
Due to COVID-19, local developers did not travel to the US for the mission, and kept in contact with SpaceX through space services agents, which help coordinate information, NSPO Deputy Director-General Yu Shiann-jeng (余憲政) said.
It is the first time that Taiwan has launched two cubesats at a time, after the Phoenix cubesat developed by National Cheng Kung University was launched in 2017.
Research and development on cubesats are an important part to foster talent for space technology and industrial development, the ministry said.
The other, NutSat, developed by National Formosa University’s Department of Aeronautical Engineering to monitor aviation safety, is scheduled to be launched in June.
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