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Taiwan’s Domestically Developed “Hunting Wind” Satellite Fully Assembled, Expected to Reach Launch Readiness by Year-End

The “Hunting Wind TRITON” (FORMOSAT-7R) satellite, independently developed by the National Space Organization (NSPO) under the National Applied Research Laboratories of the Ministry of Science and Technology, has recently completed its final assembly milestone with the installation of its solar panels. With the full assembly now completed, the satellite will undergo a series of environmental and functional tests. It is expected to reach launch readiness by the end of this year, with the earliest possible launch scheduled for the first quarter of next year aboard an Arianespace VEGA C launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.

The Hunting Wind satellite is designed for wind field observation and was originally an autonomous satellite under the FORMOSAT-7 program (FORMOSAT-7R). Following mission adjustments, it was officially named “Hunting Wind.” Unlike FORMOSAT-7, which directly observes signals transmitted by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS and GLONASS, after they are refracted through the ionosphere and atmosphere, Hunting Wind is equipped with a domestically developed Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) receiver. Operating in low Earth orbit, it collects GNSS signals reflected from the ocean surface and uses the physical characteristics of these reflected signals to estimate ocean surface wind speedsii.

Hunting Wind is the second satellite fully developed in Taiwan, following FORMOSAT-5. A total of 82% of the satellite, including its payload, was developed and manufactured domestically. When ground systems are included, more than 20 Taiwanese research institutions and companiesiii participated in the project. After launch, the satellite will also validate 10 key components and technologiesiv that were independently designed and manufactured in Taiwan.

The name “Hunting Wind” was selected through a public naming process, while its English name, “TRITON,” is derived from Greek mythology. In mythology, Triton is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. In addition to wielding Poseidon’s symbolic trident, Triton carries a conch shell, which he blows when traveling, stirring up winds and waves, symbolizing his ability to control wind and seas.

Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong stated that the Hunting Wind satellite builds upon the experience gained from FORMOSAT-5 while further increasing the proportion of domestically manufactured components. Key elements—including the satellite computer, power control system, fiber optic gyroscope, navigation receiver, and critical payload instruments—are all made in Taiwan. The Space Center has also developed multiple key technologies, demonstrating that Taiwan now possesses comprehensive satellite development capabilities. Combined with Taiwan’s already mature ground systems and related technologies, Taiwan will not be absent from the global low Earth orbit satellite wave.

Wu Jong-shinn, Director General of the National Space Organization, pointed out that the domestically developed GNSS-R instrument utilizes proprietary technologies for firmware optimization and can simultaneously receive up to eight data channels. In the East Asian region, it can also receive reflected signals from Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), offering performance superior to comparable foreign instruments. Furthermore, data processing and application technologies were jointly developed by the Space Center, National Central University, National Cheng Kung University, and the Central Weather Administration, significantly enhancing the practical applications of the data.

Project Manager Lin Chen-tsung noted that after the installation of the solar panels, the fully assembled satellite will undergo a series of tests, including mass property measurements, vibration tests, acoustic tests, shock separation tests, and final full-system functional verification. Once all tests are completed and the satellite passes the pre-shipment review, it will be deemed launch-ready and transported to French Guiana.

Operating in an orbit at an altitude of approximately 550 to 650 kilometers, the Hunting Wind satellite will receive GPS and GLONASS signals reflected from the ocean surface. The derived ocean surface wind field data represent one of the most critically lacking types of meteorological data. When combined with high-resolution coastal wind field data from ground-based radar, these observations can be applied to typhoon track forecasting, heavy rainfall prediction, and air pollution modeling, as well as research into ocean–atmosphere interactions. As such, Hunting Wind serves as both a meteorological satellite and a scientific research satellite.