Taiwan’s first private space company, TiSpace, has delayed its upcoming rocket launch due to the potential hazard to residents living close to the launch site.
The residents of Daren Township in southern Taiwan, lodge their complaints with TiSpace, Taiwan’s first private space company. They’ve discovered that the company has been secretly building a rocket launch site near their village, and that it only informed them of their plans just days before the first scheduled launch on December 27.
The company’s founder and CEO, Dr. Chen Yen-sen, apologizes for the unpleasant surprise. He later announces that the launch has been put on hold.
The incident halts what would have been a major breakthrough for Taiwan’s aerospace industry: the first-ever launch of a private research rocket. The project has faced a number of setbacks in its development. Earlier this year, TiSpace was fined NT$400,000 (US$13,300) for illegal use of agricultural and forest land.
TiSpace says it will apply for a launch permit from the Civil Aeronautics Administration and will keep the public informed of their future plans.