On the morning of September 14th, President Tsai Ing-wen traveled to Hsinchu to visit NARLabs' National Space Organization (NSPO), an institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). During her visit, the President stated that 2021 has been a marvelous year for space development in Taiwan, and MOST's expeditious enactment of the "Space Development Act" exhibits the government's strategic and ambitious approach to space development. On the celebratory occasion of the NSPO's 30th anniversary, President Tsai also commended the hard work of the NSPO staff and expressed hope that in the future, the NSPO will assist domestic companies to enter the international arena so that Taiwan may become a leader in the space industry.
President Tsai first visited the Satellite Operations Control Center and the Image Processing Center, and praised the successful development of satellite computers, optical remote sensing payloads, image processing systems, the multi-satellite operations and control system (XPSOC), and satellite planning and scheduling systems, as well as the establishment of independent satellite operation and image processing technological capabilities at the NSPO.
Afterward, President Tsai donned a cleanroom suit and entered the Integration & Testing Building to inspect the TRITON satellite, which will help Taiwan gain a more accurate understanding of typhoons and is expected to be launched in 2022, as well as the high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite FORMOSAT-8, which is currently being assembled. President Tsai expects the NSPO to continue to lead Taiwan's satellite development through high-standard assembly and testing, and to make contributions to Taiwan and to the world.
The President also encouraged the NSPO to continue to build on the strong foundation of space technology facilities and technological capabilities, delve into new space-related fields, and seize the opportunity for Taiwan's strength to reach the stars. Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong stated that on President Tsai's instructions, he will request the NSPO to continue to refine domestic space technology, take on cutting-edge space missions, foster future talent in space technology, and build Taiwan's space industry so that Taiwan can establish a place for itself in the global arena as the era of the space economy arrives.
