The race to outer space is getting busier as more countries take part. Taiwan is one of the first to join the competition for space by building its own rocket launch pad.
The head of Taiwan's national space agency, the National Space Organization (NSO) Wu Jong-shin this week announced the Taiwanese government would build a rocket launch site for the long-term development of the country's space program.
The plans were revealed after Taiwan-based commercial rocket company TiSPACE obtained approval to launch its first rocket in Australia, having previously failed to find a suitable launch site in Taiwan.
TiSPACE will conduct a test flight of Hapith I, a two-stage 10-meter sub-orbital science rocket, from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex, operated by Australia's Southern Launch. The launch date will be determined by TiSPACE and Southern Launch in the coming months.
"TiSPACE was unable to launch the Hapith I rocket at Taitung as originally planned due to a legal dispute. This forced NSO to make plans for another location. While considering a site in southern Pingtung, TiSPACE obtaining approval in Australia proved much faster," Wu said. as quoted from Taiwan News.
Wu added, however, that the Taiwanese government has long-term plans to build a rocket launch site. He also mentioned that Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology last year released a set of safety guidelines for research rocket launches.
According to the guidelines, the launch site at Pingtung will only be temporary, and the plans cannot be finalized for now as negotiations with local residents are still ongoing.
"NSO's main goal is to establish a permanent national rocket launch site for the long-term development of the nation's space program," he said.
Planning for the rocket launch site is expected to begin sometime next year, following the passage of a bill on the country's future space development. If passed, the bill would allow for the upgrade of NSO to an independent agency directly under Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology.