The National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) yesterday launched a domestically engineered sounding rocket from a rocket research launch site in Pingtung County’s Syuhai Village (旭海), the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) said.
Named the “Asfaloth Launch-2,” the project involved an Asfaloth sounding rocket developed by NYCU’s Aerospace Systems and Aerodynamics Research (ASARe) Lab, TASA said in a news release.
A sounding rocket is a suborbital rocket that carries scientific instruments to study the upper atmosphere and space for a short flight.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Space Agency
TASA said it oversaw the project, adding that the project was spearheaded by NYCU’s ASARe, Advanced Rocket Research Center, Micro-electro-mechanical Systems Servo Control Laboratory (MSCL), and the Aerospace Communication and Electromagnetic Sensing Laboratory.
ASARe was responsible for the integration of the rocket system and the design of the launch system, while the center provided the primary engine for the first stage, the Serpent Eagle Hybrid Rocket Engine, and MSCL supplied the avionics system.
The rocket took off from the launch site at 6:32am using a mobile TASA launch platform.
Assistant professor Tan Zu Pua-yen (陳竺博淵), who leads the university’s ASARe team, said that the 6.2-meter-long rocket hit its maximum altitude in 26 seconds at a height of 2.8km.
The purpose of the launch was to verify the integrity of the Asfaloth rocket, the ASARe team said, adding that it was also to simulate the accuracy of a launch, test out the onboard electronics of the rocket, the effectiveness of its landing mechanism and the redundancy of its data transmission capacity.
It was the second Asfaloth rocket the university launched, following the first launch on July 21 last year. The first Asfaloth launch also took place at the same site, TASA said, adding that yesterday’s blastoff marked the 10th rocket launch from the location since its opening in 2022.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
RSS