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.
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
‘ILLEGAL RULING’: The KMT and the TPP slammed the Constitutional Court judgement, saying it contravened the law and was trying to clear the way for a ‘green dictatorship’ The Constitutional Court yesterday ruled that amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed by the Legislative Yuan last year are unconstitutional, as they contravene due legislative process and separation of powers. The Legislative Yuan on Dec. 20 last year passed amendments stipulating that no fewer than 10 grand justices must take part in deliberations of the Constitutional Court, and at least nine grand justices must agree to declare a law unconstitutional. The Executive Yuan on Jan. 2 requested that lawmakers reconsider the bill, but the Legislative Yuan, under a combined majority of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party
RSS