The Executive Yuan yesterday passed a draft space development bill, which would provide a legislative basis for space-faring rocket launch sites and regulations for Taiwanese actions in space, marking the nation’s intent to boost space-related industries.
Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) made the announcement at a news conference after a regular Cabinet meeting, at which the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), which oversees the National Space Organization, presented the draft bill.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) had approved the third phase of the national space project when he took office in 2019, Li said, adding that the space industry is among the “six core strategic industries” touted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Photo courtesy of the National Space Organization
Tsai singled out the space industry at a national security event on Wednesday, stating that government investment in the sector is building a rudimentary backbone for the industry, especially in the fields of rocket launches and satellite construction, Li said.
Taiwan’s leading position in semiconductor manufacturing, as well as its advantage in information technology and precision machinery manufacturing, lend it an edge in the development of a space industry, Su said at the meeting.
That Taiwan could make advances into space is no longer a dream, but a viable reality, Su said.
The proposed law would enable specific organizations and companies to promote space-related businesses, in addition to NT$25 billion (US$882.46 million) set aside for the national space project.
The MOST, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of National Defense should work together to develop the space industry sector so Taiwan would be capable of launching its own satellites into orbit, Su said.
The draft has detailed regulations on how launch sites are to be defined and what regulations they would have to abide by, as well as what fines and penalties companies would face for breaching the regulations.
The penalties and fines should adequately compensate for accidents that occur at such sites, the proposed law says.
Launch sites should be established with environmental protection and sustainable development principles in mind, and the bill has several clauses regarding launch site locations, including regulations for Aboriginal traditional land, the MOST said in a news release.
The government should seek private investment, and offer sufficient incentives to help companies collaborate with foreign nations and foster talent to build a healthy space industry, the bill says.
The nation is scheduled to launch a weather observation satellite named Triton next year, followed by the launch of the Formosat-8 constellation’s first satellite in 2023 and a second in 2024, as well as a low-orbit communications satellite named Beyond 5G in 2025, the MOST said.
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