TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Over the next decade, Taiwan will launch at least one satellite a year under a NT$25.1 billion (US$814.5 million) government plan, Minister of Science and Technology Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) said Wednesday.

FORMOSAT-7 was ready for shipment to the United States for a launch this year, to be followed by completely locally developed spacecraft, the Central News Agency reported. SpaceX would use a Falcon Heavy rocket to boost the Taiwanese satellite into space, where it would take over the functions of FORMOSAT-3.

The 2019-2028 project formed the third phase of the country’s satellite plans, attracting even more young scientists to a domestic program which was laying the foundation for Taiwan’s space industry.

The program would also include a satellite designed to circle the moon, though there were no plans at present to land on the planet, according to officials.