Taiwan yesterday inaugurated the nation’s first research rocket launch control center in Hsu Hai Village (旭海) in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹).
Speaking at the event, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said the center’s inauguration was an important step in the development of Taiwan’s space industry, to ensure the nation can compete in space.
The NSTC’s 10-year plan to develop the industry involves the completion of a national launch site and the comprehensive training of talent in research rocketry, he said.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
Educational activities would also be developed to attract young people to the sector, which would include the establishment of space museums and educational centers in Taitung and Pingtung counties, he said.
“The Pingtung County Government will make Hsu Hai a new cradle for developing rocket technology and nurturing space talent,” Pingtung County Commissioner Chou Chun-mi (周春米) said. “The initiative is also expected to attract industrial investment, boosting the local economy and science education.”
Taiwan Space Agency Director-General Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said that before the new rocket assembly facility was built, students and teams working at the Hsu Hai launch site had to operate under harsh conditions, often exposed to the sun and rain, which also risked damaging sensitive electronic components.
The facility features a ceiling height of 7m and 2m-thick blast-resistant walls, he said.
Commenting on other facilities at the site, he said the launch pad includes a lightning protection tower, a micro weather monitoring station and a water storage tank.
The renovated control center — leased from the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology — includes a control room, viewing area and conference room, he said.
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