Academia Sinica signed an agreement with the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), a division of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), in Taipei on January 17. The two institutions pledged to collaborate on the ERG mission (Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace). The agreement symbolizes the first formal space research exploration mission in which Taiwan has collaborated with a world renowned space institution.

         The five-year agreement was signed by Academia Sinica President Chi-huey Wong and Dr. Saku Tsuneta, the Director General of ISAS. The ISAS leads Japanese scientific satellite mission developments. Together with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA), JAXA is one of the world’s major space agencies. In Taiwan, the project will be led by Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in partnership with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU).

         Paving the way for future international opportunities in space research, the agreement will allow Taiwanese scientists to access ERG data for advanced research in geospace physics, increase its world-class space research opportunities, and strengthen Taiwan’s capability in building top-notch instruments for space science missions.

         The ERG mission comprises a small scientific research satellite designed to study the physics of the magnetosphere of earth, especially the loss of high-energy electrons and the acceleration process of electrons in Van Allen Belts during geomagnetic storms. The ERG mission will be a modern mission to explore this part of the earth’s magnetosphere in a fully quantitative manner. The Taiwan team will deliver one of the key instruments, LEP-e, an analyzer which collects low energy electron data, to help the ERG satellite observe the distribution of energy and density of low energy electrons surrounding earth.

         Dr. Masaki Fujimoto (JAXA/ISAS, Director of the Deptartment of Solar System Science/Director for International Strategy and Coordination), President Hwung-Hweng Hwung of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Dr. Guey-Shin Chang, Director General of the National Space Organization, Dr. Chao-Han Liu, Academia Sinica Academician, Dr. Lou-Chuang Lee, Academia Sinica Academician and the Director of the Institute of Earth Science, and Dr. Paul Ho, Academia Sinica Academician and Director of Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics were among those attending the signing ceremony

         Related websites:

         http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/erg/index_e.html  

         http://sites.ncku.edu.tw/NCKU_PSSC_24/per/pages.php?ID=per1