TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan dispatched its first FORMOSAT-8 satellite to the United States Tuesday (Oct. 7) for planned launch in the fourth quarter of this year. The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA, 台灣國家太空中心) sent the advanced optical remote sensing satellite FS-8A, which President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) named "Chi Po-lin Satellite" (齊柏林衛星) to honor the late filmmaker Chi Po-lin (齊柏林) and his celebrated "Seeing Taiwan" documentary vision.
The FORMOSAT-8 (福爾摩沙衛星八號) constellation will comprise six high-resolution optical satellites with 1-meter raw resolution and two ultra-high-resolution satellites with sub-meter resolution capabilities. Deployment begins in 2025 with complete constellation installation expected by 2031, according to officials. President Lai emphasized the advanced satellite system will support crucial national land planning, agricultural monitoring, disaster response, and environmental protection efforts.
The Chi Po-lin Satellite carries advanced instruments including the "Dual-band Imager for Atmospheric Transient" (DIAT, 雙波段大氣瞬變影像儀) and "Electron Temperature and Density Probe" (TeNeP, 電子溫度密度儀). Prof. Alfred Bing-Chih Chen (陳炳志) from National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學) led the development team. The satellite will orbit at 561 kilometers (349 miles) above Earth, achieving ultra-high resolution through ground-based Super-Resolution processing.
The operational FORMOSAT-8 constellation will provide multiple daily global revisit capabilities, meeting real-time satellite imaging demands for various critical applications worldwide. This ambitious space project represents a significant milestone in Taiwan's space exploration and technological advancement capabilities on the global stage. The advanced constellation positions Taiwan among leading nations with sophisticated satellite imaging systems and space technology infrastructure. ◼
