At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai was briefed by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) on the operational status and imaging applications of the Chi Po-lin Satellite (NORAD ID: 66666). The premier said that FORMOSAT-8, Taiwan's first indigenous satellite constellation program consisting of eight sub-meter-resolution remote sensing satellites, will be progressively deployed between 2025 and 2031. The Chi Po-lin Satellite, the first in the constellation, was successfully launched and placed into orbit in November 2025, demonstrating the nation's steady progress toward President Lai Ching-te's national vision of a "race to space," while further strengthening the contribution of space programs to national security and the development of Taiwan's space economy.
Premier Cho noted that the Chi Po-lin Satellite began imaging operations in January 2026, achieving better image clarity and a higher signal-to-noise ratio than originally anticipated during the design phase. It is scheduled to become fully operational in July 2026 for applications spanning national security, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture and disaster prevention and relief.
The premier emphasized that FORMOSAT-8 represents a major first step in Taiwan's integration into the global space industry chain. He directed the NSTC to continue fostering talent in space technology and supporting key fields—including low-Earth-orbit (LEO) communications satellites, independent launch capabilities, satellite applications and outer space exploration—as well as to facilitate the upgrading of the space industry, thereby driving the transformation of local traditional industries, advancing Taiwan's space economy and strengthening the nation's links with global supply chains.