TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A national rocket launch facility will be built on Pingtung’s east coast, the National Science and Technology Council announced on Wednesday.
The council selected Pingtung’s Jiupeng Village as the National Launch Site after consulting government agencies, experts, Indigenous people, and local groups, per CNA. The council said the decision was based on land availability and environmental considerations, making Jiupeng the preferred choice.
A council report from 2023 states that the site is part of a government plan to create an independent satellite supply chain. It is part of a four-pronged strategy to develop satellite manufacturing, launch and application services, and ground equipment.
In addition to the spaceport, the council plans to build space museums, public education centers, and cultural facilities at the site. It said these will also be built at another site in Taitung that was considered for the spaceport, but was not selected.
The council's announcement did not say how much the project would cost. It said the facility is expected to be completed as early as 2030.
The council said it will now carry out planning and environmental impact assessments, referencing international examples. It said this will be done in cooperation with local governments to maximise advantages for tourism, education, and technological development.
After a December community meeting to discuss the spaceport, Pingtung County Government expressed support for the plan and said residents were excited about it. Pingtung Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) said the project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn Jiupeng into a “space village” with eco-tourism options.
The council said it also plans to consider how the project can attract foreign digital nomads, in line with a recently launched visa policy. The policy allows people from visa-exempt countries who earn above a certain income to stay in Taiwan for up to six months.
The council said it also hopes the project will attract Taiwan’s online workers to the east coast. This is in pursuit of a Cabinet policy that aims to create a “New Silicon Valley” and spaces for “downshifting” lifestyles in Pingtung and other areas, it said.
The choice to locate the National Launch Site in Pingtung came in slightly later than a timeline set a year ago. Former National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) told lawmakers that choosing the right site was important in March 2024, and said a decision would be made by the end of that year.
Regulations for selecting the site were established in 2022 after Taiwan passed the Space Development Act the year before. In 2022, the Cabinet said NT$25.1 billion (US$836.8 million) would be invested to develop space technology until 2028.
