A bill aimed at enhancing space cooperation between Taiwan and the US yesterday cleared the committee stage in the US House of Representatives.
The Taiwan and American Space Assistance (TASA) Act was included as an amendment to the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026, which the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology passed in a 37-0 vote.
The TASA Act was first introduced in September 2025 by US representatives French Hill and Gabe Amo.
Photo: CNA
Because of the US government's "one China” policy, NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had "limited" authority to work with the Taiwan Space Agency, which was launched in 2022, Hill and Amo said in a statement in November last year.
The TASA Act would not only give NASA and NOAA additional authority, but would also instruct them to "work with Taiwan in areas of mutual benefit, including satellite programs, space exploration programs, and atmospheric and weather programs," the statement said.
Specifically, the bill would provide an avenue for "voluntary exchange of personnel from NASA and the NOAA to the Taiwan Space Agency to further advance Taiwan's space capabilities," it said.
The TASA Act was one of 41 amendments added to a bill authorizing US$24.4 billion in funding for NASA — a slight dip from last year's budget of US$24.88 billion, but significantly more than the US$18 billion put forth by US President Donald Trump in his budget proposal for this year.
Having cleared the committee stage, the amendments must be passed by the full House and the US Senate, then signed into law by the president, to take effect.
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