TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology satellite launch vehicle self-destructed on Wednesday after a failed launch in Pingtung County.
NCSIST said in a press release that it conducted a satellite launch vehicle test at the Jiupeng base in Pingtung. “During flight, an early trajectory anomaly triggered the pre-planned self-destruct mechanism, which ensured the impact point remained within the designated safety control zone,” it said.
The institute said there were no injuries or property damage. Design adjustments will be made based on telemetry data, it added.
Pingtung County Government has called for a review of launch procedures and improvements to ensure future launches avoid Indigenous communities and settlements, per CNA.
The incident comes as Taiwan Space Agency plans to increase satellite launches to one or two missions annually. It aims to deploy a 10-satellite constellation by 2030 and establish the country’s first rocket launch site in Pingtung by 2030.
The agency also plans to launch a domestically developed rocket capable of carrying a 200-kilogram satellite into orbit by 2034.
