Triton (Formosat-7R), or Wind-Hunter, a Taiwan-made low-orbit satellite, is set to complete functional tests by the end of November, spotlighting government advancement of space technology industry and enhanced meteorological monitoring, the National Science and Technology Council said Nov. 7.
Operated by Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO), the satellite was initially designed in 2014 and finished assembly in July 2022. Its mission is to conduct research on ocean wave height and surface wind speed to predict typhoon intensity and direction.
During a visit to NSPO, Premier Su Tseng-chang said the government attaches great importance to the country’s progress in space technology and industry. This is demonstrated by the Space Development Act which came into effect Jan. 20, 2022, he added.
According to Su, Taiwan has advantages in related industries due to its 30-year private sector expertise in satellite manufacture. The government will fully support domestic entrepreneurs entering global space supply chains, he said.
Following his remarks, NSTC Minister Wu Tsung-tsong said 82 percent of Triton’s components are made by local businesses.
The Triton will be shipped to French Guiana on South America’s Atlantic ocean coast next January for launch from the Guiana Space Center, now the European Space Agency’s primary equatorial launch site. It will join an Arianespace Vega C rideshare mission in March.
Through the launch, the satellite is expected to obtain flight heritage proof of component viability, the last developmental step before commercial use. (YCH-E)
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