Lai says Taiwan working on own satellite launches

INVESTING IN SPACE: A facility for rocket research and development, assembly and testing is to begin operating in 2030, while a launch facility is to be completed in 2032

Taiwan is working toward independently launching domestically manufactured satellites, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, highlighting increased government investment in space technology.

Speaking at the opening of the Taiwan International Assembly of Space Science, Technology and Industry in Tainan, Lai said the government was supporting domestic satellite and rocket development while building the “necessary testing and launch facilities.”

The government has approved a facility for rocket research, development, assembly and testing in Tainan’s Shalun (沙崙), and selected Pingtung County’s Jioupeng (九鵬) as the site of a national rocket launch facility, Lai said.

President William Lai, front center, attends the opening of the Taiwan International Assembly of Space Science, Technology and Industry in Tainan yesterday.

Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times

According to a timetable previously announced by the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), the Shalun base is expected to begin operations in 2030, while the Jioupeng launch facility is expected to become operational in 2032.

“As these facilities are completed, we will make progress toward launching satellites independently,” Lai said.

Taiwan currently relies on foreign launch service providers, such as SpaceX, to send its satellites into orbit. A launch site in Pingtung County’s Syuhai (旭海) is used to launch sounding rockets for scientific research and technology testing rather than orbital satellite launches.

The government has also increased funding for the third phase of its National Space Technology Long- term Development Program to NT$71 billion (US$2.16 billion) and extended its implementation through 2031, Lai said.

The revision, approved by the Executive Yuan in October last year, increased the original 10-year program’s budget from NT$25.1 billion and extended its end date from 2028 to 2031.

“Investing in space is investing in our shared future,” Lai said.

Satellite data can help monitor environmental changes and support disaster relief efforts, while satellite communications can maintain essential connectivity when ground-based networks were damaged, he said.

National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said Taiwan would participate in NASA’s efforts to return astronauts to the moon, although he did not specify the nature of its involvement.

The US-led Artemis program, officially named in 2019, aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2028, establish a long-term lunar base by 2030 and lay the groundwork for future crewed missions to Mars.

In May, TASA said Taiwan had been invited for the first time to submit proposals addressing 32 technological gaps identified by NASA under the Artemis program.

Wu said the government would consult industry representatives and hold information sessions on Taiwan’s potential role in the Artemis program, while helping local companies move beyond component manufacturing into technology development and system design.

The four-day event, cohosted by TASA and the Tainan City Government, received more than 3,500 registrations, bringing together representatives of space agencies, research institutions and industry from 32 countries to discuss space technology and resilience.

This year’s event, the third since the event was first held in 2023, also features more than 80 exhibitors, TASA said.