在臺灣，國立陽明交通大學前瞻火箭研究中心（ARRC）十多年來致力於打造載運火箭，希望臺灣能自力將衛星送上太空。國立成功大學航太系混合火箭研究團隊則成功發射1,500公斤級兩節式火箭，更掌握關鍵零組件和儀器技術，設計、製造不求人。為何「自製」如此重要？為何許多國家競逐太空科技？其實都有著相同的目標。
The term “rocket” in Chinese literally means securing gunpowder onto an arrow to provide propulsion and increase the firing range. Today, rockets have become an important launch vehicle to send spacecraft into space. For more than a decade in Taiwan, the Advanced Rocket Research Center (ARRC) at the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University has worked on building a launch vehicle in order to send satellites into the sky. A rocket research team at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the National Cheng Kung University successfully launched a two-stage hybrid propellant rocket weighing 1,500 kg. With the critical components, instruments, and technology at hand, these teams can fully master rocket design and production. What is so important about “made in Taiwan” (MIT)? Why is there competition between nations over space technology?
