Satellite manufacturing: Taiwanese engineers’ daily struggle for technological autonomy

Abstract

Remote sensing satellites have been crucial for both civilian purposes, such as environmental monitoring, and military applications like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Most research has focused on the politics of image utilization and commercialization among countries. However, there has been limited research that delves into the intricacies of high-resolution satellite manufacturing, a critical aspect of a state's space capabilities. This research aims to fill this gap by examining FORMOSAT-5, a domestically produced two-meter high-resolution satellite launched by Taiwan aboard the Falcon 9 in 2017. Due to the dual-use nature of the remote sensing instrument (RSI), Taiwan faced challenges in securing global space technological support and in procuring high-resolution RSI from advanced space-faring countries. Nevertheless, Taiwan sought to achieve an independent "god's eye view" by leveraging its domestic semiconductor and electronic capabilities to manufacture satellite payload. This research seeks to develop the concepts of "engineering the state" through organizational ethnography and interviews with engineers at the Taiwan Space Agency. The study examines how these engineers enhance the nation's space capabilities through their daily practices, including negotiations with high-tech components for the harsh space environment. In practical terms, the research sheds light on the developmental process of key satellite components, which is intertwined with the engineers' global experiences, knowledge transfer, and daily craftsmanship. From a theoretical perspective, this study aims to enrich the existing literature on the development of independent surveillance capabilities, as small- and medium-sized countries continue to face the challenges of space capacity building.