Taiwan Successfully Tests Domestically Developed Research Rocket
By Justin Wu/Lery Hiciano
Taiwan’s space agency has successfully conducted the first test flight of its domestically developed Maraho research rocket. The rocket flew for around seven minutes and reached an altitude of 8 kilometers before parachuting into the sea. TASA says the mission successfully verified key systems and collected data for future development.
Title: Taiwan’s Space Agency Launches First Domestically Developed Research Rocket
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REPORTER:
TASA, Taiwan’s young space agency, has hit its latest milestone, the successful launch of its research rocket Maraho on Saturday morning.
REPORTER:
Research rockets, also known as sounding rockets, are purely for testing purposes. They carry equipment to gather data on the rocket's performance and validate critical components through real world tests.
Wu Jong Shinn (DIRECTOR GENERAL, TASA):
In particular, the high-pressure tank made of carbon fiber. This test it performed exactly as designed without any abnormalities.
REPORTER:
During the test flight, which went just over 7 minutes, the rocket reached an altitude of 8.1 kilometers and hit a velocity well over the speed of sound. The rocket parachuted into the sea but the agency said all its data had already been transmitted back to base.
REPORTER:
But TASA has its sights set on larger, orbital rockets. These carry cargo into space at higher altitudes and faster speeds. The agency is aiming for 2034 to fly its first orbital rocket, and it says these tests with sounding rockets let them know they’re on the right track.
Wu Chih-yung (AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS ENGINEERING, NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY):
Of course, it can't be compared with [orbital] rockets. However, in the process of designing a rocket the [Maraho] is actually very useful for validating the overall system engineering and it is relatively safe.
REPORTER:
The Maraho’s success came just a few days after another locally developed rocket, an experimental satellite launch vehicle, crashed into a mountainside during a test. That was developed by a national research institute, not by TASA, but it still highlights how it may not all be smooth sailing for Taiwan's young space program.
Despite that, TASA has had its groundbreaking first launch, and it looks like the sky's the limit from here on out.
