Legislation seeks to secure Taiwan a share of new space economy

2021/07/19

The space development act drafted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology, passed May 31 in the Legislature, is set to advance next-generation technologies and related industries by combining the strengths of the public and private sectors.

Yu Shiann-jeng, acting director-general of National Space Organization based at Hsinchu Science Park in the northern Taiwan city, said the legislation is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to advancing the country’s space economy.

The law also paves the way for NSPO to work even more effectively with other organizations in the park such as Taiwan Instrument Research Institute and Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute in areas spanning physics, precision machinery and information and communication technology, Yu added.

Taiwan’s space program, which began 30 years ago, has resulted in launches of a series of satellites starting with Formosat-1 in 1999. The latest to enter orbit was Formosat-7, a constellation of six advanced climate-monitoring satellites jointly developed by Taiwan and the U.S. sent up in 2019 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

According to Yu, in-progress Triton and Formosat-8 projects are scheduled for takeoff beginning in mid-2022. The government is accelerating the pace of its space program, with plans to launch a new satellite each year, he added.

While the space program initially focused on capacity building and accumulating experiences through collaboration with overseas companies and research organizations, subsequent efforts have turned to working on locally designed and constructed projects.

Yu said a breakthrough result was the remote-sensing Formosat-5 satellite launched in 2017, adding that its success built strong confidence in the country’s space tech capabilities.

An increasingly large number of homegrown firms are now able to manufacture key components such as electronic devices, flight control systems, optical instruments and solar panels. Yu said. NSPO’s series of successful satellites boasting domestically produced components and integrated systems are gaining global recognition, paving the way for expanded applications at home and abroad, he added.

With one eye firmly on future talent needs, NSPO is maintaining close connections with academic institutions such as National Central University’s Department of Space Science and Engineering in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City.

It is critical to assemble a strong base of scientists and engineers in areas encompassing satellites, rockets and ground-based facilities so as to launch Taiwan into the final frontier of the space industry, Yu said.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)