TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Space Agency said Thursday it will ship its first Formosat-8 to California in late August ahead of an October launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
TASA confirmed that the FS-8A satellite has completed full functionality and environmental testing, clearing it for pre-shipment review in early August, per CNA. The launch will take place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare mission.
Formosat-8 is the first project under Taiwan’s third-phase national space development plan. The program aims to build a high-resolution optical remote sensing constellation with six 1-meter-resolution satellites and two sub-meter-resolution satellites, which will be launched annually through 2031.
Project lead Liu Hsiao-ching (劉小菁) explained that FS-8A underwent rigorous environmental tests designed to simulate the harsh conditions of space. An issue with the final flight software was discovered and fixed during final functionality testing.
The satellite also carries a dual-band imager for atmospheric transients and thermal electron and density probe, which will study gamma-ray flashes and ionospheric activity. Both were developed by National Cheng Kung University.
TASA expects to complete the full constellation by 2031, with improved revisit times and global coverage to serve Taiwan’s strategic and scientific goals.
