Taiwan space industry ready for takeoff
Taiwan space industry ready for takeoff
2022-05-01
A new space race has gripped the world, with many nations pursuing advanced satellite networks. In May of last year, Taiwan passed a first-of-its-kind bill to drive growth in the space industry. What’’s Taiwan doing in space and does it have a future in the industry? We find out in our Sunday special report.
In 1957, the Soviet Union kicked off the Space Age with the launch of the world’s first artificial satellite. Since then, more than 3,000 satellites have been launched into orbit. Here on Earth, we have become dependent on satellites for many services, including GPS navigation, phone tracking, meteorological observation and television broadcasting.
In the past, it cost billions of dollars to manufacture a single satellite. Launching the satellite on a carrier rocket would further rack up the bill. The cost of launching a 300-kilogram satellite started at NT$900 million.
Dr. Chang Guey-shin
Former National Space Organization head
Space technology used to be a very expensive industry, and most firms were supported by the government. Satellites seemed like a nearly unreachable goal. But that’s been changing in recent years. The first factor behind this change is the miniaturization of technology. There’s been progress in the miniaturization of satellite technology. The second is the reutilization of launch vehicles. As we all know, SpaceX is developing reusable launch systems.
SpaceX is the largest commercial satellite operator in the world. The firm is developing a reusable orbital launch vehicle to cut the manufacturing cost for single-use carrier rockets. With satellite manufacturing and launching getting cheaper each year, new possibilities are springing up in the space tech sector. Companies and countries around the world all want a piece of the pie, particularly when it comes to low Earth orbit satellites.
There are many types of satellites, which perform different functions at varying orbit altitudes. Generally speaking, there are three types of orbits: low Earth orbits, medium Earth orbits, and geosynchronous orbits. Low Earth orbits are those at an altitude below 2,000 kilometers, and they’re mainly used for telecommunications.
Dr. Chang Guey-shin
Former National Space Organization head
There are several advantages to positioning a satellite at a low altitude to communicate with Earth. Firstly, it doesn’t require as much power to launch them. Secondly, they are very close to Earth, so the delay in transmission is very low. The downside of low Earth satellites is that they are not like geosynchronous satellites, which stay on top of you all the time. Instead, you need to have thousands of them in orbit to have a connection at all times.
In 2015, SpaceX announced Starlink, an ambitious plan to build and operate a constellation of about 12,000 low Earth orbit satellites by 2024. The company says the dense network of satellites can offer satellite connectivity to every part of Earth, making it a key step toward 6G networks.
In Taiwan, transmission towers are used to deliver data domestically across 4G and 5G networks. But if a Taiwan user connects to the internet outside Taiwan, all the data has to be transmitted via submarine communications cables. Currently, the whole world’s internet is connected by underwater fiber optic cables. But low Earth orbit satellites could soon be a viable option for global telecommunications.
Tsai Tung-hung
National Space Organization
With this technology, transmission would not be restricted to one plane. You’d be able to connect upward as well, with satellites that link up to each other. The satellites move very fast, at about 500 or 600 kilometers per hour, or about 7 kilometers per second. That’s like traveling from Hsinchu to Taipei in just 10 seconds. So data can be delivered very fast.
Switching from transmission towers on Earth to satellites in space. It’s an exciting proposition that could turn our two-dimensional telecommunications network into a three-dimensional network, covering all gaps in coverage.
Dr. Wu Jong-shinn
National Space Organization head
Before, if you were up in the mountains, you may not have had a connection. Maybe there wasn’t a transmission tower nearby. The network may have had gaps. But if you had tens of thousands of satellites above you, you could be here at the National Space Organization or on the Himalayas and still have a direct connection.
In a future powered by the internet of things, we might rely on self-driving cars and airplanes, which will need a low Earth satellite connection at all times. According to U.S. financial services company Morgan Stanley, the global space industry could surpass NT$28 trillion in revenue by 2040. In 2021, President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan should secure a strategic position in the sector.
Tsai Ing-wen (Sept. 14, 2021)
President
At present, countries around the world are proactively making efforts to establish themselves in space. And in the coming 10 years, we expect to see the launch of tens of thousands of low Earth orbit satellites. It is time that we start proactively working on our space program.
Located in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan’s National Space Organization has been in operation for 30 years. It’s the only agency in Taiwan specializing in space tech.
Taiwan launched its first satellite in 1999. In 2017, the National Space Organization launched its first domestically developed satellite, the Formosat-5, from a site in the U.S.
Dr. Chang Guey-shin
Former National Space Organization head
The Formosat-5 is an optical remote sensing satellite. It produces satellite images. These images can be used for land development or during natural disasters. Of course, they can also be used for national security purposes.
In 2019, Taiwan’s Formosat-7 satellite was launched into space, in a collaborative venture with the U.S.
Dr. Wu Jong-shinn
National Space Organization head
This satellite has made huge contributions to Taiwan. It’s improved our typhoon and meteorological predictions by 6% to 8%. That’s considerable accuracy in the meteorology sector.
Formosat-5 and Formosat-7 are testament to the prowess of Taiwan’s space capabilities. Since 2021, the National Space Organization has made a big push in low Earth orbit satellites. In collaboration with the Industrial Technology Research Institute, it’s developing a low Earth orbit telecommunications network called Beyond 5G. The first satellites could be launched as early as 2025.
Dr. Wu Jong-shinn
National Space Organization head
Taiwan may develop a few dozen or a few hundred satellites to create a public network that the government and private firms can use. It would be especially useful for the Internet of Things and fishing vessels, among other applications.
The National Space Organization hopes to develop a public telecommunications network of its own using low Earth orbit satellites. Such a network would help Taiwan avoid what happened to Ukraine, which lost its internet when Russia attacked.
Dr. Wu Jong-shinn
National Space Organization head
Currently our internet runs through submarine cables, which can be damaged easily. If they broke, how else could we communicate with other countries? We need satellites. And not just one satellite, but a bunch of them. With a bunch of them, there is nothing to be afraid of. Using an intercontinental missile to take down one satellite would cost NT$1 billion. At such a cost per satellite, it’s just not worth it for the attacker.
In May 2021, the Legislative Yuan passed Taiwan’s first law for the space industry, called the Space Development Act.
Chung Chia-pin
Lawmaker
The Space Development Act opens by saying that peace is the goal of our activities in space. Taiwan is developing this sector so that we can provide services to the whole world and do business together.
The act states that the relevant agencies will establish a national launch center – that is, a base for launching rockets.
In April 2015, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Advanced Rocket Research Center launched a small rocket from Hsinchu’s Xiangshan Wetlands. Although Taiwan doesn’t yet have a rocket that can push satellites in orbit, several research agencies have launched sounding rockets with success.
Wei Shih-sin
NYCU Advanced Rocket Research Center
Rockets that can carry satellites are very distinct. They tend to be quite large, because they have to fly high and go into orbit. The controls are not quite the same. Sounding rockets have fins for stability during the flight, and the technology-related costs are lower. They’re kind of like fireworks.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has established a small launch site in Macaran, a village in Pingtung’s Mudan Township. The ministry hopes to one day expand the venue into a world-class launch site.
With so many contenders in the modern-day space race, experts say Taiwan should move off the beaten path.
Bill Chang
Taiwan Space Industry Development Association
Regarding the issue of low Earth orbit satellites, there is already a lot of buzz surrounding Starlink, which is operated by a dominant company. So I don’t think that Taiwan should take the route of launching low Earth orbit satellites of its own. Manufacturing our own telecommunications satellites network is something that requires industry competitiveness. So I think we should turn our sights to areas where infrastructure is still lacking.
Tsai Tung-hung
National Space Organization
We don’t have to think of it as competing against Starlink. It’s more about running a program that creates momentum in Taiwan’s space industry, helping it to enter new fields.
But already, SpaceX’s satellite project wouldn’t be possible without Taiwan. Peek inside their satellites, and you’ll find plenty of parts made by Taiwanese firms. Today, Taiwan is a key supplier for SpaceX, and it has the potential to make systems of its own, to cement its position in the global supply chain.
The nation’s tech talent is ready for takeoff, to make sure Taiwan doesn’t miss out as mankind expands into space.
福爾摩沙的太空夢
2022-05-01
去年5月，立法院通過國家第一部太空法案，政府更組成了「太空國家隊」，要打進國際產業供應鏈。台灣目前在太空產業的發展如何？一起來了解。
1957年，蘇聯將全世界第一顆人造衛星發射升空，開啟太空時代。現在，浩瀚無垠的宇宙中，人造衛星數量已經超過三千顆。事實上，人類生活許多方面都仰賴衛星提供服務，舉凡汽車GPS導航、手機定位、氣象預報中的衛星雲圖、電視轉播等。
從前製造一顆傳統衛星，動輒數十億，加上衛星發射需要用火箭作為載具，以一顆重達三百公斤的衛星來說，發射成本最低也要九億元。
[[前國家太空中心主任 張桂祥博士]]
“太空科技過去是一個非常花錢的產業，大部分都是國家的財政在支撐。以前衛星對大家都是遙不可及，可是最近幾年，第一個就是「微小化」科技，衛星微小化科技的一個進展。第二個就是，能夠重複使用的發射載具，大家非常清楚SpaceX能夠重複使用的發射載具。”
SpaceX是全球最大的衛星營運商，他們讓原本用一次就丟的火箭有了重複使用的機會。製造衛星與火箭發射的成本雙雙降低，使得原本昂貴的太空發展出現新的契機，不少企業或國家紛紛搶食這塊大餅，尤其是強攻低軌道衛星市場。
太空中的人造衛星依任務不同，運行的軌道高度也有所差別，大致來說分為低軌、中軌道、同步軌道等三種，距離地面兩千公里以下，普遍被稱為低軌衛星，最常應用於通訊上。
[[前國家太空中心主任 張桂祥博士]]
“衛星放在非常低的地方，好處就是說，它對地球的通訊，第一個它不需要那麼多能量，第二個就是它離地球很近，所以延遲通訊的時間就變得非常低，但是它(低軌衛星)的缺點是，因為它不像同步衛星一直都在你的頭頂上，所以它需要千千萬萬的衛星，才能夠隨時都有衛星跟你聯絡。”
2015年SpaceX提出Starlink「星鏈計畫，目標是在2024年前，發射一萬兩千顆低軌道衛星，把世界佈建成一張密密麻麻的星鏈網，提供全球衛星服務，這也將是未來發展6G的關鍵助力。
過去4G、5G的通訊，在國內靠的是基地台的連結，對國外則需要橫跨海洋的海底電纜，經由電纜裡的光纖才能連上全世界的網路，低軌衛星則提供另一種傳送方式。
[[國家太空中心系工組 蔡東宏]]
“你通訊的傳輸路線，不是只有平面傳出去，你可以往天上打，天上的衛星之間，因為衛星飛行的速度很快，大概在五六百公里的高度，一秒大概飛七公里，所以從新竹到台北，差不多十秒鐘它就到了，有些資訊就可以很快速的傳遞。”
簡單來說，就是把基地台直接架在太空中，把過去2D空間的通訊連結，轉為3D的概念，讓訊號無死角。
[[國家太空中心主任 吳宗信博士]]
以前是你在山上，可能就沒有基地台，因為基地台沒有佈那麼滿。但是如果你上面有幾千顆、幾萬顆的衛星，在太空中心這邊跟在喜馬拉雅山，你都直接可以通訊。
在物聯網的時代，未來無論自駕車、飛機都能透過覆蓋全球的低軌道衛星連結。根據國際金融公司摩根士丹利的一份產業報告中，指出2040年太空產業的營收規模高達台幣約二十八兆元，就連總統蔡英文在2021年也曾誓言要成立太空國家隊。
[[總統 蔡英文(2021.9.14)]]
“目前世界各國都積極進軍太空，未來十年，預計會有數以萬計低軌衛星的發射。我們現在就要開始積極的往太空來布局。”
位在新竹科學園區內的台灣國家太空中心，成立至今已經三十年，是台灣唯一的航太專責機構。
1999年台灣第一顆衛星升空。到了2017年，太空中心團隊，自主研發製造的福衛五號，也在美國發射成功。
[[前國家太空中心主任 張桂祥博士]]
“福衛五號是屬於光學的遙測衛星，也就是「照相」的衛星。大部分我們都是用在比如說國土規劃，或是一些特殊天然災害的時候，當然還有一些國安的用途。”
2019年，台灣和美國合作的氣象衛星福衛七號，也順利升空。
[[國家太空中心主任 吳宗信博士]]
“這個對台灣的貢獻算是非常大，它對颱風跟氣象的預測，它提升大概6%到8%，這個在氣象裡面就很準。”
從福衛五號到七號，證明台灣團隊的實力。2021年開始，太空中心也搶搭全球低軌衛星的競爭行列，與工研院合作發展名為Beyond 5G的低軌通訊衛星計畫，預計最快將於2025年發射。
[[國家太空中心主任 吳宗信博士]]
“台灣有可能可以發展幾十顆、幾百顆，這種是公網，公網就是政府端需求的。或是商業端，它可能有特殊運用，比如說IOT(物聯網)，或者說一些漁船。”
太空中心希望未來發展成低軌通訊衛星的公網，就能防止像俄烏戰爭時，俄羅斯意圖中斷烏克蘭的對外網路這類的狀況。
[[國家太空中心主任 吳宗信博士]]
“因為現在都是海底電纜(連線)，其實海底電纜是相對容易破壞的，破壞對外國通訊怎麼辦？勢必你就是要有衛星，而且衛星不是一顆，可能是一堆，一堆就不怕人家。他用洲際飛彈一顆十億，去打一顆一億的，他划不來。
2021年5月，立法院三讀通過《太空發展法》，這是國家第一部太空法案。
[[立法委員 鍾佳濱]]
《太空發展法》當中，就開宗明義說，我們台灣發展太空以和平為目的，這樣情況之下，我們國家去推動這樣的產業，就是可以跟全世界提供服務、做生意。
另外，法條中也直接點出將設置國家發射場，也就是火箭發射基地。
2015年4月，交大前瞻火箭中心團隊，在新竹香山濕地試射小型火箭。目前台灣雖然尚未研發出能搭載衛星的「入軌火箭
，但不少學術單位已經做出像這樣，具科學研究性質的「探空火箭」。
[[陽明交通大學前瞻火箭研究中心副主任 魏世昕]]
“一般載衛星的火箭，它其實滿明顯，大小會大的特別多，因為它要飛得比較高，要進入(太空)軌道，控制方式也不太一樣。一般探空火箭的話，它其實是靠尾翼來做飛行的穩定，它技術成本稍微比較低，有點像沖天炮的感覺。”
科技部先在屏東牡丹鄉旭海，建立一個小型探空火箭的發射場域，未來希望朝向國際級的發射場目標邁進。
太空競賽的項目何其多，有專家提出新的策略。
[[台灣太空產業發展協會監事 張懷謙]]
“低地球軌道，現在Starlink已經是最夯的，甚至是最有侵略性的一家公司，所以相對來說，我不認為台灣在低地球軌道，自己要製造完整的通訊衛星是一個有競爭力的事情。相對的，我們應該把眼光放在，還沒有建立基礎建設的地方。”
[[國家太空中心系工組 蔡東宏]]
“我們不要把它想說，我只是要跟Starlink的計畫比，而是說，做這樣的一個計畫裡面，國家能夠帶動台灣的產業，讓它重新跨入一個它以前沒跨入的領域。”
實際上，把SpaceX的衛星系統拆開，處處可見台灣廠商的蹤影。既然台廠有能力搶下SpaceX的生意，從原本只是做零件的角色，變成擁有做系統的能力，穩固國際供應鏈的地位。
台灣的科技人才廠商蓄勢待發，希望能在無垠的太空中，為台灣攻下一席之地。
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