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How Taiwan’s Space Ambitions Shaped Its First Lunar Mission

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By TaiwanPlus News

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More countries are beginning their own journey to explore space. Taiwan also takes its first step to reach the moon through collaborative efforts with Japan. A group of Taiwanese university students designed a radiation probe to collect data from deep space. In January 2025, the radiation probe was carried into space by the Japanese lunar lander Resilience. In this episode of Zoom In Zoom Out, Bill Chang, CEO of space services provider HelioX Cosmos, talks about the role Taiwan plays in space exploration.

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Taiwan has taken its first step toward the moon and potentially into the future of global space exploration with the launch of the Deep Space Radiation Probe (DSRP), a scientific payload designed and built by students from National Central University (NCU). 

 

The probe, developed to collect radiation data from deep space, was carried aboard the Japanese lunar lander Resilience operated by Tokyo-based startup ispace. Though the mission ultimately ended with a loss of communication during descent in June 2025, Taiwan’s involvement in this mission is being hailed as a significant milestone for the nation’s emerging space sector. 

 

The project was coordinated by HelioX Cosmos, a Taiwanese space firm led by CEO Bill Chang, who played a key role in forging the partnership between the university and the Japanese firms. 

 
In an interview with TaiwanPlus, Chang recalled the opportunity first emerged in 2022 after learning that ispace and his Japanese partnering firm Space BD were collaborating on the project. “I was eager to find someone to go to the moon and to represent Taiwan.”
 
NCU's Department of Space Science and Engineering chair Loren Chang agreed to take on the challenge of designing a radiation-hardened instrument capable of surviving the harsh lunar environment. 

 

While the lander failed to achieve a soft landing, Chang emphasized the mission’s broader achievements. “No matter how, Taiwan is there on the moon, even if it's a hard landing,” he said. “Every second, every day, the DSRP is making a new record.” 

 

Despite the technical setback, Taiwan’s first lunar venture has ignited interests in future space exploration. Chang believes Taiwan’s participation is not only about scientific efforts, but also about bringing the country to the world. “We are a very small country in the world and we are trying to find a bigger dream,” he said. 

 

For more stories about space, check out TaiwanPlus’s brand new show “Small Island Big Ideas.” Click here for more.