TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Sunday (July 10) praised the successful launch of Taiwan's first indigenously designed double-stage autonomous sounding rocket as a significant breakthrough for the nation’s space technology sector.
The rocket, called the HTTP-3A, took off from its Hsuhai launching site in Pingtung’s Mudan Township earlier on Sunday after a previous launch attempt was canceled due to strong winds in May. The rocket and launch pad were both entirely made in Taiwan by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s (NYCU) Advanced Rocket Research Center, which Tsai said is “a very significant milestone.”
The launch was intended to test the two-stage rocket and other vital systems.
The president pointed out on Facebook that the successful execution of the mission allows NYCU engineers and graduate students involved in the project to have a "coming of age" moment. They have accumulated a lot of valuable experience, which definitely lays an important foundation for cultivating Taiwan's space talents, Tsai said.
President Tsai thanked the NYCU team, the National Space Center, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and related organizations for their persistence and hard work over the past few days. It was truly a hard-earned success after many previous attempts, she said.
Tsai said the government will continue to support the country's space technology development and lead Taiwan into space.