Taiwan Research Satellite Could Be Used For Military Purposes: Report

DRAGON SPACE

The ROCSAT-2 satellite was launched in May in the United States. Taiwan says it is intended to monitor the island's land mass and surrounding waters, and study atmospheric conditions.

Taipei, Taiwan (AFP) Oct 05, 2004
Taiwanese intelligence and security officials took a close interest in the development of what rival China sees as a spy satellite, a report said Tuesday.

Taiwan says the satellite, which was launched in May in the United States, is intended to monitor the island's land mass and surrounding waters, and study atmospheric conditions.

China fears the satellite, designed to transmit high-resolution photos of areas as small as two meters, could be used for military purposes.

The China Times quoted an unidentified offical as saying that national security authorities had sent staff to meetings and voiced demands on collecting information while the satellite was still on the drawing board.

It also quoted a note about the satellite which was made by the then-top intelligence chief, Yin Tsung-wen, in 1999.

The note read: "German company delays ROCSAT-2".

Yin made the note two months before Taiwan's government confirmed that under pressure from Beijing the German government might forbid a German company to manufacture the satellite.

Taiwan eventually scrapped the contract with the German firm and gave it to Astrium of France.

The 750-kilogram (1,650-pound), with a lifespan of five years, is in a 890 kilometer-high (480 nautical mile) orbit. The total cost of the project is 4.7 billion Taiwan dollars (1.18 billion US).

Taiwan in October 1991 launched a 15-year space program at an estimated cost of 19.6 billion dollars.

Military analysts said that without its own spy satellite, Taiwan could hardly establish a functional missile defence system.

China has some 600 short-range ballistic missiles, mostly deployed in coastal provinces facing Taiwan, according to Taiwanese officials.

Since pro-independence president Chen Shui-bian was re-elected in March, Beijing has stressed its long-standing vow to take Taiwan by force should it declare formal independence.

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DRAGON SPACE

Orbital Taurus To Launch Taiwan's ROCSAT-2 Thursday

Dulles VA (SPX) May 20, 2004
Orbital Sciences reports that it is in final preparations to launch its Taurus space launch vehicle carrying the Republic of China's ROCSAT-2 remote sensing satellite on Thursday, May 20, 2004.