Taiwan Space Agency receives upgraded status

2023/01/04

The National Space Organization was renamed Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) Jan. 1, 2023, as part of ongoing government efforts to enhance the country’s global competitiveness in space research, according to the National Science and Technology Council.
 
The restructuring was implemented in accordance with the Act for the Establishment of the Taiwan Space Agency, which passed the final reading in April last year, the NSTC said. The move demonstrates Taiwan’s ambitions in the potential-laden field, the council added.
 
Originally established in 1991 as the National Space Program Office under the National Space Technology Long-Term Development Program, Hsinchu City-based TASA was grouped under the National Applied Research Laboratories in 2003 to oversee development of related next-generation technologies.
 
The upgraded status will put TASA under the direct auspices of NSTC to better coordinate public and private resources when it comes to conducting space missions, fostering top-notch personnel and promoting cutting-edge technologies.
 
The agency has seen the launch of Formosat-1, Formosat-2, Formosat-3, Formosat-5 and Formosat-7 satellites since 1999, with the last two constellations still in service.
 
According to the NSTC, TASA’s latest program Formosat-8, a constellation of six high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites, will begin launches in 2024.


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