On April 19, the National Space Center Establishment Act passed its third reading in the Legislative Yuan. Under the new act, the National Space Organization (NSPO), currently a research center under NARLabs, will be upgraded to a non-departmental public body directly under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). In the future, NSPO will be responsible for assisting MOST in managing Taiwan's burgeoning space industry and exercise public authority in regards to space-related matters. The organization will also integrate resources from industrial, government, academic, and research sectors across Taiwan and promote the development of space technology.
The Space Development Act, which came into effect on January 20, 2022, tasked MOST with establishing a juristic person specifically mandated to facilitate the promotion of the space industry. Considering that NSPO had been responsible for the development of space technology and had successfully executed various space programs and missions over many years, it was decided that NSPO would be upgraded for the purposes outlined in the Space Development Act. Thus, a draft of the National Space Center Establishment Act was submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review, and after the necessary legal procedures were completed, it passed the third reading on April 19.
According to the act, the upgraded NSPO will be responsible for developing and implementing national space programs, conducting technological R&D, and pROViding technology transfer and value-added applications. It will also promote international collaboration and knowledge exchanges, assist in guiding and upgrading the space industry and its technology, conduct legal research on space affairs, manage a national launch site, and handle launch vehicle and spacecraft registration and launch permit review. Additionally, it will work to train experts in the field of space technology and promote space science education in the community.
The implementation of the Space Development Act has laid an important legal foundation for the space industry in Taiwan by pROViding a basis for public and private sectors to develop more forward-looking technologies. In addition to the continuation of its current space programs and research operations, the upgraded NSPO will be entrusted with promoting the growing space industry and professional development. The organization is expected to further enhance Taiwan's global competitiveness in the field of space technology.
