Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen took to Facebook on Thursday to promote the launch of Taiwan's first self-built satellite - FormoSat-5 - and included a link to the livestream channel for the public to join in and watch as its fired off into space.
In her post, Tsai noted that the first domestically developed satellite carried the skills and dreams of the Taiwanese people.
When answering questions at a pre-launch press conference, American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty lauded the development of the remote sensing satellite as an incredible and memorable accomplishment.
He said he was not only looking forward to the launch on Friday but also the possibility of future scientific collaborations between Taiwan and the United States.
FormoSat-5 is scheduled to be launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California early Friday Taiwan time. It will carry out a five-year environmental monitoring mission that will provide valuable data for national security, disaster prevention, as well as scientific and academic uses.
