Rocket scientist Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) has officially assumed the position of National Space Organization (NSPO) director-general, the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) said on Monday.
Wu took over the official seal from former acting director-general Yu Shiann-jeng (余憲政) at a ceremony at the NSPO’s headquarters in the Hsinchu Science Park, with NARL president Wu Kuang-chong (吳光鐘) overseeing the ceremony, the NARL said in a news release.
Wu Jong-shinn specializes in system engineering, hybrid rocket propulsion and plasma physics, among other areas, it said.
Photo courtesy of 2030.tw through the National Applied Research Laboratories
The Space Development Act (太空發展法), which was promulgated in June, provides the legal basis for the promotion of the nation’s space technology and industry, he was quoted as saying in the news release.
Wu Jong-shinn expressed the hope that he would help Taiwan reinforce the foundations of space technologies and foster the growth of local space industry supply chains and space start-ups.
He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from National Taiwan University and his doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan in 1994.
In 1995, Wu Jong-shinn returned to Taiwan to work at the National Space Program Office — the NSPO’s predecessor — and in 1998 started teaching at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU, renamed National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in February).
In 2012, Wu Jong-shinn founded the Advanced Rocket Research Center at NCTU and in 2015 temporarily served as chief technology officer at GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology Inc. In 2016, he founded Taiwan Innovative Space Inc, but returned to NCTU in 2018.
“Wu [Jong-shinn] will lead his country’s space R&D efforts as the nation makes a concerted effort to fully participate in the world’s space economy,” the University of Michigan said in a news release on July 21.
“Wu [Jong-shinn]’s ambitious plans for NSPO include designing and manufacturing its own satellites and rockets... He also aims to double NSPO’s workforce to 600 employees by 2028, while growing its annual US$100 million budget,” it said.
Currently, the NSPO has about 220 employees and an annual budget of around NT$2.3 billion.
He has appointed three deputy directors-general — Yu, Vicky Chu (朱崇惠) and Kuo Tien-chuan (郭添全), Wu Jong-shinn told the Taipei Times.
Chu is a former project leader of the Formosat-7/COSMIC-2 satellite constellation — a Taiwan-US collaboration, while Kuo is a former director of the NSPO’s mechanical engineering division.
Wu Jong-shinn is the first rocket scientist to take the NSPO’s helm, Wu Kuang-chong said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their