NSTC in talks on communications satellite network with Amazon Kuiper

Taipei, May 17 (CNA) The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is in talks to collaborate with Amazon on its Kuiper project that will complete Taiwan's low-earth orbit (LEO) communications satellite network, NSTC head Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said Friday.

In an interview with CNA, Wu said Kuiper's service network covers ground, air, and sea services, and it has promised intercommunications with Taiwan's LEO satellites if the talks succeed, which would strengthen Taiwan's communications resilience and national security.

Wu said Taiwanese businesses are also hoping to play an important role in Kuiper's satellite production, and that Taiwan's technology will improve quickly through its cooperation with the United States, which possesses the world's top-tier satellite design capabilities.

According to sources, Taiwan is also seeking to collaborate with Kuiper on optical inter-satellite link communication technologies, which allow satellites to exchange information rapidly without a ground intermediary.

The technology supports communications for remote areas and helps to maintain basic communications in case ground systems are disconnected.

Wu said the plans go hand-in-hand with the third phase of Taiwan's national space program, whose revision is expected to be approved by the Cabinet in the near future.

The third phase, originally projected to run from 2019 to 2028, was aimed at launching one satellite per year for national security and environmental monitoring purposes.

The NSTC proposed a revision in 2024 with a budget of over NT$40 billion (US$1.324 billion) to extend the third phase to 2031 in order to adapt to the rapid changes in LEO distribution and commercialization.

Should the revised version be carried out, it will include two self-developed experimental satellites and four satellites developed in collaboration with the industrial sector, which will also be a part of Taiwan's satellite network.

The first experimental satellite would be scheduled to be launched in 2027, while the four collaborative satellites would be scheduled for launch as early as 2029.

A rocket research and development base will also be established in Tainan as part of the space program, with construction scheduled to begin in as early as 2026, Wu said.

The base, however, will not be used for ignition and launching tests, Wu said.

Another feature of the third phase revision is the commercialization of various aspects of the program.

The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) will collaborate with the private sector to create a supply chain for the space industry extending from system design to component manufacturing, Wu said.

Yet while there will be new opportunities, businesses will still have to develop new skills because the ground and terminal equipment used for communications satellites have different specifications from standard ground equipment Taiwanese businesses are familiar with, Wu said.

As a result, in addition to startups joining the supply chain, many integrated circuit (IC) design companies and electronics manufacturers are expressing interest in participating, eyeing the prospects of satellite applications, he said.

The NSTC also hopes to connect with international partners, including in the U.S., Europe and Japan, and develop global markets together, Wu said.

(By Alyx Chang and Wu Kuan-hsien)

Enditem/cs/ls