On May 6, Chiayi County's newest educational facility, the Space Education Center, officially opened its doors. The Space Education Center, which is the second building of the Tropic of Cancer Solar Exploration Center, will kick off its opening by hosting two special exhibitions curated in collaboration with NARLabs' National Space Organization (NSPO) under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and National Chiayi University: the NSPO 30th Anniversary Special Exhibition and the Art of Mathematics Special Exhibition, both of which will be on display until October 29, 2022.
MOST has always attached great importance to the promotion of science education, and its departments have been partaking in a wide variety of activities which aim to inspire young students' interest in science and foster their science skills. Many of these young students particularly aspire to learn about outer space. Therefore, MOST has specifically tasked NSPO with promoting space science in the community. In addition to organizing many space-related events, NSPO also took the initiative to collaborate with the Chiayi County Government to hold the aforementioned special exhibition at the new Space Education Center.
The NSPO 30th Anniversary Special Exhibition outlines the achievements of NSPO over the past 30 years and pROVides an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn more about space and Taiwan's space industry, which is one of Taiwan's Six Core Strategic Industries. In the future, MOST will continue to encourage NSPO in bolstering space research by integrating industrial, academic, and research sectors while further investing in science education and talent training.
The NSPO 30th Anniversary Special Exhibition will feature 1:1 models of the FORMOSAT 5, 7 and TRITON satellites as well as a model of the FORMOSAT 5 launch rocket. And, for the first time, a replica of the satellite control center has been built in order to give the public a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. The exhibition also includes interactive games about collecting space junk which are both fun and educational.
The new Space Education Center building was designed based on the exterior of the FORMOSAT 1 satellite. The NSPO 30th Anniversary Special Exhibition, curated by NARLabs' NSPO, and the Art of Mathematics Special Exhibition, curated by Professor Chih-Hung Yen of National Chiayi University, will be held in the right and left wings, respectively. All are invited to come and enjoy each of these exciting exhibitions.
