The first satellite of the Taiwan-made Formosat-8 constellation project successfully lifted off yesterday morning from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA).
SpaceX’s Transporter-15 rocket carried the satellite, named the “Chi Po-lin Satellite” (齊柏林衛星) after the late Taiwanese documentary director known for recording Taiwan through aerial imagery, into space at 2:44am after a slight delay from the scheduled launch time of 2:18am, to avoid a possible collision with another satellite in orbit, TASA said.
The satellite, codenamed FS-8A, is one of eight in the Formosat-8 constellation and is expected to capture ground details at a resolution of 1m, sharpening to 0.7m after processing, to study the frequent natural disasters and security risks Taiwan faces.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Space Agency
During the countdown of the launch, TASA Director-General Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said he was very nervous, as the FS-8A felt like his own baby.
Now the satellite has been launched, Wu said he has embraced high expectations that it would leverage high-resolution imagery to collect data multiple times a day to provide comprehensive observation capabilities.
The launch of FS-8A had been postponed five times due to conflicts in launch schedules, a US government shutdown and the need for more preparatory work, project leader Cynthia Liu (劉小菁) said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Space Agency
According to TASA, the Formosat-8 constellation would be able to do more than just provide clearer images; it would be operating in a sun-synchronous orbit 561km above Earth.
With more satellites, Formosat-8’s revisit rate — the frequency of imaging the same location on Earth — would also improve, according to Liu.
President William Lai (賴清德), who named the satellite, in a recorded video said that the successful launch of FS-8A is not only the beginning of the Formosat-8 project, but also a milestone in Taiwan’s space industry development.
Citing an ambition unveiled in his inauguration speech on May 20 last year, Lai said the government would continue to work with industry and academia to develop the next generation of medium and low-orbit communications satellites to put Taiwan’s space and aerospace industries on the international stage.
Lai expressed gratitude for the efforts of the local space industry to make the launch of FS-8A a reality, to allow the Chi Po-lin Satellite to safeguard Taiwan, and to let the world witness Taiwan’s ambitions, courage and achievements.
National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said the satellite showcased Taiwan’s strength in the space industry, and the launch is expected to pave the way for diversified applications and value-added services in aerial imagery, which would bring tremendous business opportunities for Taiwanese tech firms.
Chi’s son, Chi Yen-huan (齊延洹), described the launch as replacing his father as a protector of Taiwan, but from a higher perspective.
His father filmed eye-opening aerial imagery and videos of Taiwan, which showed its natural beauty, but also environmental degradation when its land and rivers are exploited for profit and not well taken care of, he said.
Chi Po-lin died in a helicopter crash in 2017.
“Chi Po-lin is not only a person’s name or an individual, but will represent Taiwan’s spirit,” the Chi Yen-huan said.
The Formosat-8 constellation is expected to be fully deployed in 2031, and would “support disaster management, national security and global collaboration,” according to a TASA video released last month to introduce the program.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
BIG SPENDERS: Foreign investors bought the most Taiwan equities since 2005, signaling confidence that an AI boom would continue to benefit chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) market capitalization swelled to US$2 trillion for the first time following a 4.25 percent rally in its American depositary receipts (ADR) overnight, putting the world’s biggest contract chipmaker sixth on the list of the world’s biggest companies by market capitalization, just behind Amazon.com Inc. The site CompaniesMarketcap.com ranked TSMC ahead of Saudi Aramco and Meta Platforms Inc. The Taiwanese company’s ADRs on Tuesday surged to US$385.75 on the New York Stock Exchange, as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications led to chip supply constraints and boost revenue growth to record-breaking levels. Each TSMC ADR represents
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS