Overview
The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) traces to 1991, when Taiwan founded the National Space Program Office in Hsinchu; in January 2023 it was elevated into a full agency under the National Science and Technology Council and renamed. The rebrand marked a strategic upgrade: bigger budgets, a satellite constellation of its own and a declared path toward indigenous launch.
The FORMOSAT series is the programme's spine. FORMOSAT-5 (2017) was the first satellite designed and built entirely in Taiwan; FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2, a six-satellite joint constellation with the US NOAA, profiles the atmosphere with GNSS radio occultation and feeds weather models worldwide; Triton (2023) measures ocean winds by the same trick. The next-generation FORMOSAT-8 imaging constellation began launching in 2025, while suborbital hybrid-rocket tests work toward an orbital launcher in the early 2030s.
Quick Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Taiwan Space Agency (formerly NSPO) |
| Abbreviation | TASA |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Headquarters | Hsinchu |
| Founded | 1991 (renamed TASA January 2023) |
| Head | Wu Jong-shinn (Director General) |
| Crewed Capability | No |
| Website | www.tasa.org.tw |
Key Programmes
FORMOSAT Earth observation
From FORMOSAT-1 (1999) to the all-domestic FORMOSAT-5 (2017) and the FORMOSAT-8 next-generation imaging constellation launching from 2025.
COSMIC-2 / FORMOSAT-7
Six satellites built with NOAA that produce thousands of daily GNSS radio-occultation profiles — among the most valuable inputs to global weather models.
Triton (Wind Hunter)
Launched 2023 on Vega, Triton reads sea-surface winds from reflected GNSS signals, sharpening typhoon forecasting.
Indigenous launch
The HTTP-3A hybrid rocket programme runs suborbital tests toward a national orbital launcher goal in the early 2030s, complemented by private ventures such as TiSPACE.