A draft space development act yesterday cleared a preliminary review at the legislature, which Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) hailed as a “milestone” for the development of Taiwan’s space industry.
Wu thanked the lawmakers on the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee for reviewing 17 bills proposed by lawmakers, including the one by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Space technology has been mostly used in national defense and communications, but with its increasing commercialization, domestic businesses can join more niches in global supply chains, Wu told reporters on the sidelines of the committee meeting.
Photo: CNA
Highlighting the opportunities brought by low-Earth-orbit satellite launches, Wu said local businesses can join the manufacturing of satellites and ground station equipment, or develop innovative applications involving 5G and 6G communications technology.
To boost the development of the local space industry, the ministry would do its utmost to increase funding for the National Space Organization (NSPO), but it needs to deliberate the distribution of the technology budget with the Executive Yuan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and other agencies, he said.
The NSPO has an annual budget of about NT$2 billion (US$71.59 million).
The bill, comprised of six chapters with 22 articles, confirms the science ministry as the competent authority to oversee local space activities, although some lawmakers had suggested the Executive Yuan or the economics ministry as supervisors.
While most of the articles were based on the ministry’s version, there were heated discussions about articles related to a rocket launch site.
Finding a launch site became a thorny issue for the ministry after a plan by Taiwan Innovative Space to build a site in Nantian Village (南田) in Taitung County’s Dajen Township (達仁) was thwarted by local Aborigines and lawmakers representing Aborigines.
Independent Legislator Kao Chin Su-mei (高金素梅) has accused the company of lying to local residents about land use before a planned launch of its Hapith I sounding rocket in December 2019.
The ministry would choose another site from which to launch rockets on a long-term basis, as stipulated by the bill, Wu said.
While such a site is most likely to be found on the southern or southeastern coast of Taiwan, the ministry would consult local Aborigines, as stipulated by the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law (原住民族基本法), he said.
The ministry’s proposal to set up a launch site in Syuhai Village (旭海) in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) would only be for short-term use, as the tract of land is not large enough, Wu added.
However, the disputes around the Syuhai site are not yet settled, as local residents continue to express their worries about noise, pollution and security risks from rocket launches, as well as compensation.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said the bill should include rules governing the environmental impact assessment procedures for rocket launches, but an Environmental Protection Administration official said that such rules can be added to its existing assessment regulations.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) has urged the Cabinet to use the ministry’s planned science park in Pingtung as a base to promote space industry supply chains.
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