TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan intends to launch a small satellite into space by 2030, Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) Director Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said on Saturday (Sept. 16).

With the support of the National Science Council, a satellite launch program was established this year, Wu said at a space development seminar, per CNA. The goal is to send a 200-kilogram satellite into low Earth orbit, he said.

The director said Taiwan has been involved in satellite technology for over 30 years.

Chen Kuo-liang (陳國樑), Director of the National Science and Technology Council’s Department of Foresight and Innovation Policies, said that Taiwan's industries, including ICT, semiconductors, precision machinery, and chemical materials, are all capable of supporting the space industry. He hoped that Taiwan can contribute to international connections within the space industry.

TASA unveiled its new satellite launch vehicle at the 2023 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition on Thursday (Sept. 14). The satellite carrier rocket was designed and developed domestically and will be used for both national and commercial satellite launch missions, per TASA.

The rocket is intended for low Earth orbit, approximately 300 km above the earth’s surface. Measuring 25 meters long and weighing 37 tons, it is able to carry one 200 kg satellite.