INSPIRESat-1, a microsatellite jointly developed by Taiwan, the U.S. and India, has reached its mission orbit, spotlighting government efforts to advance the space technology industry and enhance meteorological monitoring, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Feb. 14.
According to the MOST, the constellation was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. The satellite carries payloads funded by Taiwan’s National Central University and U.S.-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the MOST added.
The two scientific instruments onboard collect information on the Earth's ionosphere and the sun's corona, the MOST said. When combined with the satellite, they form a space weather station, the MOST added.
The project also marks the first time a Taiwan academic institution has collaborated with the Indian Space Research Organization, which launched INSPIRESat-1 on its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, the MOST said.
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology is responsible for flight control of the satellite, with assistance by NCU and the University of Colorado Boulder in the U.S., the MOST added.
Space development is one of the government’s top priorities, the MOST said, adding that the administration is leaving no stone unturned in this regard, as demonstrated by the passing of the Space Development Act last year. (DL-E)
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