The nation’s space development program is to receive an additional NT$40 billion (US$1.23 billion) in funding, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday in a speech at the opening of the Taiwan International Assembly of Space Science, Technology and Industry in Taipei.
The launch of Taiwan’s first domestically produced weather satellite, Triton, earlier this month proves that the nation not only has advantages in semiconductors and precision manufacturing, but also the ability to enter the global space industry, Tsai said.
The additional funding for the third phase of the space development program — initiated in 2019 with an investment of NT$25.1 billion over 10 years — would go into supporting the development of low Earth orbit communication satellites, as well as national launch sites for satellites, she said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
In a keynote speech, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction Michael Morgan highlighted cooperative space projects that have brought together Taiwanese scientists and US engineers.
For example, the launch of Taiwan’s Formosat-7/COSMIC-2 satellites in 2019 was the largest science technology activity undertaken by Taiwanese and US authorities, Morgan said.
“We have seen that the data from this mission are critical in the operations of NOAA’s [the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] weather service,” he said.
The satellites reduced errors in global modeling data from NOAA by about 6 percent, he said.
The US Air Force’s 557th Weather Wing also uses this important data, he added.
The NOAA and the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research at National Central University in Taoyuan are also collaborating on space-based marine oil pollution and marine debris monitoring, he said.
Taiwan’s Triton, also known as the Wind-Hunter Satellite, has potential for retrieving wind data, and assessing soil moisture and flood inundation, he added.
The near-surface wind retrievals are particularly valuable, providing crucial insights into understanding the structure of cyclones over oceans, he said.
“We have identified mutually beneficial collaboration on space weather through the accommodation of space weather instruments on the upcoming TASA [Taiwan Space Agency] and Formosat-8 spacecraft missions,” he said, referring to TASA’s ongoing development of six high-resolution optical satellites, known collectively as the Formosat-8 satellite constellation.
The five-day conference, the largest international showcase for Taiwan’s space industry, brings together public and private sector operators in space technology from countries including India, Japan and the US.
TASA, which hosts the annual conference, says the event serves as a platform for integrating the fields of science, technology and industry in the sector, to attract international attention to Taiwan’s space development and facilitate cooperation.
The conference includes forums, keynote speeches, academic presentations and exhibition booths where satellite and communication industry representatives display their latest developments.
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