2016 ANNUAL REVIEW Ministry of Science and Technology

Space Organization (NSO) has drawn on the capabilities of industry, government, academia, and research organizations to develop key technologies used in atmospheric satellites, including lightweight aircraft design and production, control system design, simulator development and production, h i gh - e ff i c i ency so l a r pane l deve l opmen t , regenerative hydrogen fuel cell development, high-torque motor development and production, carbon fiber high-pressure hydrogen storage tank technology development, and large, high-altitude propeller blade development and production. This project is currently performing aircraft assembly, ground testing, and flight verification. It is expected that the aircraft will reach an altitude of 10 km within one year, and it has an endurance goal of 8 hours. The research and development of so many key technologies in Taiwan will boost domestic renewable energy technology and industrial competitiveness. d. A great leap forward in key synthetic aperture radar technology Apart from requiring a high-gain antenna and high-power microwave amplifier, high-resolution synthetic aperture radar also requires a linear frequency modulation (chirp modulation) signal generator with high bandwidth. In the case of 1 m resolution, a chirp modulation signal generator with bandwidth of 300MHz is needed. NSO has therefore developed a 300MHz chirp modulation signal generator based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); this signal generator has features including a parallel architecture and easy expansion of bandwidth. NSO is continuing to research and development signal generators with an even higher 600MHz bandwidth in order to meet the needs of future 0.5 m ultra-high resolution synthetic aperture radar satellite missions. e. Verification of advanced optical remote sensing payload experiment The optical system of the advanced optical remote sensing payload of the FORMOSAT-5 was upgraded from a Cassegrain telescope to a Korsch telescope with off-axis optics. Various technologies for the optical remote sensing payload experiment with a 300 mm aperture Korsch telescope were developed performed in 2016, and completed tasks included optical design, optical mechanism design, experiment production and integration, and off-axis optical system correction technology development and verification. In the future, NSO will develop the 300 mm optical remote sensing payload experiment into a lightweight, compact optical remote sensing payload that can be carried on 100kg-grade satellites. In addition, NSO will continue to develop advanced optical systems with apertures of as large as 550 mm, which will provide a technological foundation for the development of next-generation sub-meter optical remote sensing satellite payloads. f. FORMOSAT-2 is decommissioned with honors The FORMOSAT-2 satellite was launched from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on May 21, 2004. After continuing to implement its mission for 12 years and 2 months (longer than the original mission life of 7 years and 2 months), the FORMOSAT-2 was formally decommissioned on August 19, 2016, ending its honorable service. During its 12 years of operation, the FORMOSAT-2 support domestic and foreign disaster assessment work on 343 occasions, and took a total of 2,555,643 photographs of the ground. Images taken by the satellite have been widely applied in numerous government and private uses, including homeland security, environmental monitoring, disaster prevention and disaster surveys, scientific diplomacy, and scientific research. The Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightings (ISUAL) payload recorded more than 41,863 observation data items, which formed the basis of over 300 academic papers, including several reports published in Nature . NSO is currently striving to ensure that the FORMOSAT-5 satellite mission can pick up where the FORMOSAT-2 left off, and continue to protect Taiwan and watch the world. (8) Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center a. Helping hold the National Science and Technology Conference The Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI) played the role of a think tank in helping MOST to organize and hold the 10 th National Science and Technology Conference. Establishing two-way linkage between "top-down" policy guidance and "bottom-up" issue analysis, STPI assembled long-term, forward- looking, focal issues associated with the three major aspects of "infrastructure environment," "smart living," and "economic development," and gathered the views of scholars, citizens, and experts affiliated with industry, government, academia, and the research community. This enabled STPI to map out a national science and technology development blueprint for the coming four years, which will provide government agencies Support for Academic Research Ministry of Science and Technology 67