Zeppelin Satellite to Begin Official Operations in July; 16 Domestically Produced Components to Receive Flight Heritage
The Zeppelin satellite (FS-8A), Taiwan's first domestically produced sub-meter remote sensing satellite, will officially begin operations in July. The 16 domestically made components on board have also successfully passed in-orbit verification and are expected to gain flight heritage.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 17:27
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Central News Agency, Taipei, 14th — The Zeppelin satellite (FS-8A) successfully entered orbit in November last year. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced today that its image quality has been confirmed to meet and exceed original design specifications, with official operations expected to begin in July. Additionally, the in-orbit verification of 16 self-made domestic components on the satellite has met design missions, and they will officially receive flight heritage after completing six months of in-orbit data collection.
'FORMOSAT-8' is Taiwan's first self-made sub-meter remote sensing satellite constellation, which will be deployed annually from 2025 to 2031. The first satellite, 'Zeppelin,' was successfully launched into orbit last November, began imaging this January, and showcased its first wave of image results in February. The NSTC reported on the operational status and image applications of the Zeppelin satellite at the Executive Yuan meeting today, presenting recent images of the newly opened Danjiang Bridge and Taipei Port.
According to the NSTC report, the Zeppelin satellite is scheduled to begin official operations in July. It has been confirmed that the image quality meets and exceeds the original design, with an original resolution of 1 meter, which can be enhanced to 0.7 meters through post-processing. The image clarity (MTF) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are also better than the original design.
Furthermore, the in-orbit verification of 16 self-made domestic components on the satellite has all met their design missions. They will officially obtain flight heritage after completing six months of in-orbit data collection. Lin Fa-jeng, Deputy Minister of the NSTC, explained at a press conference after the meeting that the 16 domestic components include the satellite computer, power control unit, and solar panel deployment mechanism, all of which are made in Taiwan.
The NSTC stated that FORMOSAT-8 is the first sub-meter remote sensing satellite constellation made by Taiwan. Subsequent satellites will be launched annually to build out the constellation. Its multiple daily revisit capability will provide high-frequency observation and global coverage satellite imagery, applicable to fields such as national security, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and disaster prevention and response. It will also drive domestic industry, academia, and research teams to establish a space industry supply chain, producing low-cost, high-performance, and internationally competitive satellite platforms and various domestic key components.
The NSTC pointed out that the main mirror diameter of the last satellite in the FORMOSAT-8 constellation is planned to be 0.8 to 0.9 meters, with an image resolution of the 30-centimeter class, which is highly challenging. Upon its successful flight test in 2031, it will place Taiwan's self-made optical satellite capabilities among the top ten in the world.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Li Hui-chih, presiding over the post-meeting press conference today, relayed that Premier Cho Jung-tai, after hearing the report, noted that in addition to providing panchromatic (black and white), multispectral (color), and fused images, the Zeppelin satellite also acquires the world's highest-resolution red-edge band imagery, which can enhance environmental monitoring capabilities.
Cho Jung-tai also said that 'FORMOSAT-8' is an important starting point for Taiwan to officially enter the international space industry chain and shoulders the task of driving domestic industrial upgrading. He asked the NSTC to continue cultivating space technology talent, invest in key development areas such as low-earth orbit communication satellites, autonomous launch capabilities, satellite applications, and outer space exploration. He also called for integrating resources across ministries and upgrading traditional domestic industries through the space industry, to root the space economy in Taiwan while connecting with global supply chains. (Editor: Zhai Si-jia) 1150514
'FORMOSAT-8' is Taiwan's first self-made sub-meter remote sensing satellite constellation, which will be deployed annually from 2025 to 2031. The first satellite, 'Zeppelin,' was successfully launched into orbit last November, began imaging this January, and showcased its first wave of image results in February. The NSTC reported on the operational status and image applications of the Zeppelin satellite at the Executive Yuan meeting today, presenting recent images of the newly opened Danjiang Bridge and Taipei Port.
According to the NSTC report, the Zeppelin satellite is scheduled to begin official operations in July. It has been confirmed that the image quality meets and exceeds the original design, with an original resolution of 1 meter, which can be enhanced to 0.7 meters through post-processing. The image clarity (MTF) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are also better than the original design.
Furthermore, the in-orbit verification of 16 self-made domestic components on the satellite has all met their design missions. They will officially obtain flight heritage after completing six months of in-orbit data collection. Lin Fa-jeng, Deputy Minister of the NSTC, explained at a press conference after the meeting that the 16 domestic components include the satellite computer, power control unit, and solar panel deployment mechanism, all of which are made in Taiwan.
The NSTC stated that FORMOSAT-8 is the first sub-meter remote sensing satellite constellation made by Taiwan. Subsequent satellites will be launched annually to build out the constellation. Its multiple daily revisit capability will provide high-frequency observation and global coverage satellite imagery, applicable to fields such as national security, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and disaster prevention and response. It will also drive domestic industry, academia, and research teams to establish a space industry supply chain, producing low-cost, high-performance, and internationally competitive satellite platforms and various domestic key components.
The NSTC pointed out that the main mirror diameter of the last satellite in the FORMOSAT-8 constellation is planned to be 0.8 to 0.9 meters, with an image resolution of the 30-centimeter class, which is highly challenging. Upon its successful flight test in 2031, it will place Taiwan's self-made optical satellite capabilities among the top ten in the world.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Li Hui-chih, presiding over the post-meeting press conference today, relayed that Premier Cho Jung-tai, after hearing the report, noted that in addition to providing panchromatic (black and white), multispectral (color), and fused images, the Zeppelin satellite also acquires the world's highest-resolution red-edge band imagery, which can enhance environmental monitoring capabilities.
Cho Jung-tai also said that 'FORMOSAT-8' is an important starting point for Taiwan to officially enter the international space industry chain and shoulders the task of driving domestic industrial upgrading. He asked the NSTC to continue cultivating space technology talent, invest in key development areas such as low-earth orbit communication satellites, autonomous launch capabilities, satellite applications, and outer space exploration. He also called for integrating resources across ministries and upgrading traditional domestic industries through the space industry, to root the space economy in Taiwan while connecting with global supply chains. (Editor: Zhai Si-jia) 1150514