The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) yesterday said it plans to launch six low Earth orbit satellites starting in 2026 as part of the government’s plan to boost the resilience of the nation’s communications.
The development of the technology gained attention after Ukrainians were able to access the Internet through Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) CEO Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service, despite their infrastructure being severely damaged in the war with Russia.
Two of the satellites would be built by the government, while four would involve cooperation between TASA and private contractors.
Photo courtesy of the Industrial Technology Research Institute
“Over the past 30 years, the satellite technology in Taiwan has mostly been used for remote sensing and meteorological observations,” National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said.
“The research and development of communications satellite technology is indeed challenging, as it is complicated and fast-changing. As such, the government needs to take the lead, which is why it has extended the Phase III space project to 2031 and added NT$40 billion [US$1.23 billion] to the budget,” he said.
TASA Director-General Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said the agency plans to launch the first low Earth orbit satellite in 2026 using a SpaceX rocket and the second one in 2028.
Photo: CNA
The first satellite’s body would be made in Taiwan, but the Ka bend communication payload would be built in partnership with an overseas contractor, he said.
The second satellite would be jointly developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute, which is capable of developing 4G and 5G systems, and TASA, Wu Jong-shinn said.
The total budget to launched the two rockets is NT$900 million, he said, adding that the agency hopes that the contracts for the four other satellites will be placed on auction this year.
Aside from Starlink, there are other low Earth orbit satellite service providers, many of whom are eager to set up ground stations in Taiwan.
“However, we have to try to develop the technology ourselves. That way, we would not be worried if some companies refuse to transfer it to us,” Wu Jong-shinn said.
The launch of the six low Earth orbit satellites, known as project “Beyond 5G (B5G),” would only be the beginning, Wu Tsung-tsong said.
Simulations have shown that if there are two low-orbit communication satellites, they would only hover over Taiwan for three to five minutes when orbiting the Earth, he said.
“To achieve uninterrupted communication 24 hours a day, it is obvious that six satellites would not be enough. Taiwan needs at least 120 satellites to build communications resilience,” he said.
The next step is to build up the satellite communications industry, which not only includes existing electronics industry operators, but also new entrepreneurs, Wu Tsung-tsong said.
“They will see that telecommunications business opportunities in the next 10 or 20 years will be in space,” he said.
“Taiwan’s space ground equipment industry is already of considerable scale, with an output value exceeding NT$200 billion, but there is still a lot of room for growth in satellite manufacturing, rocket launch services and other fields,” he said. “Like a baseball player who can pitch and hit, Taiwan must be skilled on the ground and in space.”
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS