The nation's third satellite project, the FORMOSAT-3, took off from CKS International Airport early today heading to California, in preparation for a launch that is scheduled to take place at the end of March.
The FORMOSAT-3, also named "Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate," was successfully completed before its deadline of Dec. 22. The satellite's mission will involve the placement of six micro-satellites into six different orbits ranging between 700-800km above the earth's surface.
The project is an academic research program with the goal of developing an advanced system for real-time monitoring of the globe's climate.
The satellite can also be used for research into long-term climate change, interactive ionosphere monitoring, global space weather forecasting and gravity research.
According to National Space Organization (NSPO) officials, Formosat-3 is an international collaboration between Taiwan's NSPO and the University of Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in the US.
Expressing his relief at the successful completion of the project, director of the Formosat-3 program at the NSPO Paul Chen (
Deputy Minister of the National Science Council (NSC) Shieh Ching-Jyh (
"We can't guarantee that the bumps and jolts the satellites will receive during the journey won't adversely affect the equipment," he said.
Formosat-3 is the third satellite project to have been developed in Taiwan. Formosat-1 was launched from the US in 1999 and Formosat-2 also took off from the US in 2004.
Peng Hong-linn (
"While the previous two satellites used image collection, information for Formosat-3 is gathered when signals transmitted by the 24 US GPS satellites penetrate the ionosphere," he said.
The satellite's observations cover the entire global atmosphere and ionosphere, providing 2,500 temperature and humidity data soundings per day, pinpointing different areas across the world.
Chen said, "The collection of a rich database of information will allow greater accuracy in weather prediction for the future."
According to President of the National Applied Research Laboratories Lee Lou-Chuang (
Taiwan is the first country in the world to invest in so many satellites using this particular method of information gathering, Peng said.
While the satellites are expected to be launched at the end of March, Chen said "If there is a delay, then there is a delay. More than anything, our priority is to successfully achieve our project mission."
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