Tamkang University successfully launches 4th research rocket

Taipei, Nov. 23 (CNA) The "Tamkang-2" successfully lifted off from the Hsu-Hai Rocket Research Launch Site in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, at 6:46 a.m. on Sunday, ascending to an altitude of more than 7 kilometers, according to the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA).

The rocket, 222 cm long and 14 cm in diameter, weighing 52.3 kg, was the fourth rocket developed by the university's Department of Aerospace Engineering Space Technology Lab, TASA said in a news statement.

It had a thrust of 2,765 newtons and an impulse of 26,000 newton-seconds, and burned for 13 seconds, reaching its highest point at the 38-second mark, TASA said.

The rocket soared over 7 km, as estimated by its last transmitted data, before it flew beyond transmission range, TASA said.

Its successful launch verified the university lab's avionics system performance, said project leader Wang Yi-ren (王怡仁), also a professor at the department.

He said he was proud that the lab team developed an avionics system that was able to transmit data stably and in real time at high speeds and under strong vibrations.

The previous rockets developed by the Tamkang teams each served different goals, Wang said.

The first, the "Tamkang-1," verified the propulsion system, "Jessie" verified the composite strength, and "Polaris" verified the damping system, he said.

The lab will next work on attitude control systems, he said.

Hung Chien-chun (洪健君), head of the department, said rocket development is a highly integrated systems engineering effort that depends on cross-disciplinary collaboration, according to the TASA statement.

He said the Tamkang-2 was completed with guidance from teachers in each field, noting that all members of the lab team were undergraduates.

TASA said it was commissioned by the National Science and Technology Council to run a scientific rocket development program that supports academia in building research rockets, with the aim of advancing domestic rocket technology through flight tests and verification.

The agency's Hsu-Hai Rocket Research Launch Site has completed 12 scientific sounding rocket launches to date, it added.