The Ministry of Science and Technology yesterday announced plans to focus on the development of 10 small, high-resolution satellites for the third phase of the National Space Program.
The third phase, which is expected to cost NT$25.1 billion (US$814 million), was last month approved by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).
It was the first official document he signed after taking office.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
It is to be executed by the National Applied Research Laboratories and the National Space Organization (NSPO) over a 10-year period starting this year, the ministry said.
The initiative would focus on the development of six prototype high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites, two ultra-high resolution smart optics remote sensing satellites and two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, it said.
It would also focus on the development of remote sensing technology and the use of smaller satellites to achieve higher resolution images, Minister of Science and Technology Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) said.
Citing an example, Chen said an ultra-high resolution smart optics remote sensing satellite weighing about 200kg would give users a 35cm view of the ground from an altitude of 510km, which would be the equivalent of spotting a cat or a dog in Pingtung County’s Kenting (墾丁) area from the Taipei 101 building.
The ministry plans to launch one satellite a year, he said, adding that the first is expected to be launched in 18 months.
The achievements of the first and second phases would serve as the foundation for the third phase, Chen said.
He hopes that the National Space Program would encourage innovation in the field of science, he added.
The prototype high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite constellation, which is to include three sets of two satellites, would raise the frequency of Formosat-5’s revisit rate from once every two days to twice or three times a day, NSPO director-general Lin Chun-liang (林俊良) said.
This would allow the ministry to gather more images, which has positive implications for the implementation of government policies, rescue missions, disaster prevention and scientific research, he said.
Ultra-high resolution smart optics remote sensing satellites focus on sub-meter resolution images, Lin said.
SAR satellites, which are equipped with active radar, are unaffected by cloud cover, fog or rainfall, which means they can function no matter the weather conditions or time of day, he said.
Other plans for the third phase include space exploration and the development of a satellite capable of orbiting the moon, Lin added.
As Taiwan lacks experience in these areas, it hopes to achieve its goal of space exploration by partnering with domestic and foreign academia, he said.
Having a satellite orbiting the moon would be the first step, he said.
Researchers would also explore ways to land a satellite on the moon, Lin added.
Without the assistance of GPS on the moon, the satellite would need to guide its own landing, he said.
Asked about the launch date of Formosat-7, Lin said that as Taiwan is partnering with the US for the launch, it would need to wait for the US to notify them.
Formosat-7’s six satellites are on standby at the NSPO, and can be packaged and delivered to the US as soon as it receives notice from the US, he said.
The ministry plans to launch Formosat-7 this year and a weather satellite called the “wind hunter” next year, Chen said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as