Taiwan showcases tech prowess at Satellite 2024 in Washington

Washington, March 19 (CNA) Taiwan is taking part in the 2024 Satellite Exhibition, which opened in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, with a pavilion displaying the country's achievements in the fields of microwave antennas, key satellite components and materials.

The Taiwan Space Pavilion aims to showcase Taiwan's satellite innovation and capabilities, according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.

It was set up by the national civilian space agency Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute, and industry players.

Tsai Hsin-hsuan (蔡欣璇), a TASA specialist in industry promotion, told CNA that one of the highlights of the Taiwan pavilion is the TASA-developed Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) employed by the domestically developed weather satellite Triton to collect GNSS signals reflected by the earth surface.

As for the FORMOSAT-7 satellite, which was launched in 2019, Tsai said that the combination of observation data collected by the GNSS reflectometry and the data provided by FORMOSAT-7 can help to improve the accuracy of severe weather forecasts.

Participating Taiwanese manufacturer YTTEK Technology Corp. showcased its new product -- a high-speed satellite modem -- while Min Chun Precision Co. exhibited a ground-based weather radar system.

Min Chun Chairman Hung I-chun (洪一鈞) said the radar system can be used as a satellite receiving vehicle, and "from design, manufacturing, assembly to testing, is all made by our company and MIT (made in Taiwan)."

In addition, Advanced Material Systems showcased its ion thruster cylinders for satellites, which are used as a power source for satellite orbit maintenance and conversion, according to the company.

The Satellite Conference and Exhibition, which will run through Thursday, stands as the largest annual gathering for the satellite and space communities.

Since its inception in 1981, the event has broadened its scope, encompassing not only the satellite and space industry but also attracting participants from the media, government agencies, the military, and telecommunications companies.

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