The National Science Council yesterday held a ceremony with representatives of US corporations, scientific agencies and the military to publicize details of a US$5 million technology transfer program in connection with the ROCSAT-3 (
Science council officials said that ROCSAT-3 would be used to provide real-time weather monitoring data, which is essential for accurate weather forecasts.
Taiwan's National Space Program Office under the council, and the US' University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) signed a science support contract on the ROCSAT-3 program in January, and a spacecraft contract in March.
Yesterday, the science council's chairman, Wei Che-ho (
Other US representatives at the ceremony included members of the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Air Force, US Navy and officials of the American Institute in Taiwan.
The ROCSAT-3 program is a collaborative project between Taiwan and the US to develop a constellation of six low-earth orbiting satellites for weather forecasts, space weather monitoring and climate-related scientific research.
Science council officials stressed yesterday that the program was for weather-related research only and was irrelevant to national defense.
The six "constellation satel-lites," according to the program, will receive signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS). The data will be transferred to 2,500 observatories around the world. It is believed that the data will improve the precision of weather forecasting.
"ROCSAT-3 has the potential to make revolutionary improvements to weather forecasting," said David Thompson, the Orbital Science Corporation's chairman and CEO.
Scientists from both sides will work together on building a system, called the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COS-MIC), which will have three primary components, including an advanced GPS receiver, tiny ionospheric photometer and tri-band beacon transmitter. The data collected by Taiwan's constellation satellites will be received by the US COSMIC Data Analysis & Archive Center (CDAAC) and be applied to weather forecast systems.
Five Taiwanese companies are expected to benefit from the program. Technologies will be transferred to these companies for the production of 14 spacecraft components.
National Space Program Office director Lee Lou-chuang (
Lee said that the space program office was planning to build as many as 50 constellation satellites to carry out weather-related scientific research.
Dr Richard Anthes, president of UCAR, said that he was very pleased to learn about Lee's idea.
"It's the kind of forward, leadership thinking that is important ... Other countries will quickly see the value," Anthes said. He once predicted that there would be 200 constellation satellites in orbit by 2025 to improve the precision of regional weather forecasts.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
ACTION PLAN: Taiwan would expand procurement from the US and encourage more companies to invest in the US to deepen bilateral cooperation, Lai said The government would not impose reciprocal tariffs in retaliation against US levies, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he announced five strategies to address the issue, including pledging to increase Taiwanese companies’ investments in the US. Lai has in the past few days met with administrative and national security officials, as well as representatives from various industries, to explore countermeasures after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday last week announced a 32 percent duty on Taiwanese imports. In a video released yesterday evening, Lai said that Taiwan would not retaliate against the US with higher tariffs and Taiwanese companies’ commitments to
‘SPECIAL CHANNEL’: Taipei’s most important tasks are to stabilize industries affected by Trump’s trade tariffs and keep negotiations with Washington open, a source said National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) arrived in the US for talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. Wu was leading a delegation for a meeting known as the “special channel,” the Financial Times reported earlier. It marked Trump’s first use of the channel since returning to the White House on Jan. 20. Citing a source familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) was also a part of the delegation. The visit came days after China concluded war games around Taiwan and amid Trump’s
CHIP EXCEPTION: An official said that an exception for Taiwanese semiconductors would have a limited effect, as most are packaged in third nations before being sold The Executive Yuan yesterday decried US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced hours earlier as “unfair,” saying it would lodge a representation with Washington. The Cabinet in a statement described the pledged US tariffs, expected to take effect on Wednesday next week, as “deeply unreasonable” and “highly regrettable.” Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said that the government would “lodge a solemn representation” with the US Trade Representative and continue negotiating with Washington to “ensure the interests of our nation and industries.” Trump at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on most goods