In this century, space has become a realm for competition from around the globe. After 30 years of development, Taiwan has built up a complete infrastructure and advanced capabilities for its space technology, and the government has made the promotion of the space industry an important part of national policy. In 2021, the Space Development Act passed its third reading in the Legislative Yuan, and it officially came into effect on January 20 this year. The Act declares Taiwan's clear determination to invest more heavily in the space industry and allows for Taiwan's space technology and industry to be upgraded even further.

An important next step for the domestic space industry is to develop space-grade electronic components that can pass high energy radiation testing. In order to support Taiwan's space industry and enhance its independent R&D capabilities and testing of radiation-resistant electronic components, NARLabs' National Space Organization (NSPO) under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) joined up with the industrial sector in 2020 to establish the Taiwan Space Radiation Environmental Verification & Testing Alliance. On May 23 this year, NSPO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) to conduct heavy ion radiation testing of satellite components at the TVGH Department of Oncology's Heavy Ion Therapy Center when its facilities are not in use.

Taiwan has been actively expanding its space industry and aims to develop over 60% of its electronic components domestically by the end of 2023. Outer space is a very harsh environment, and satellites are prone to radiation bombardment, which can cause system malfunctions. In minor cases, rebooting is all that is required to restore the satellite to normal operations, while in severe cases, radiation may cause damage to electronic components, rendering the satellite unable to carry out its mission. Therefore, electronic components are selected through radiation resistance testing to ensure that the satellite they are used in will be able to successfully carry out its mission in space.

Space radiation mainly consists of gamma rays, electrons, protons, and heavy ions. In a low Earth orbit, protons are the main source of radiation, accounting for about 95%. In 2020, NSPO collaborated with Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research of the Executive Yuan's Atomic Energy Council, Integrated Service Technology Inc. (iST), the Institute of Physics of Academia Sinica, and the National Tsing Hua University Nuclear Science & Technology Development Center to form the Taiwan Space Radiation Environmental Verification & Testing Alliance. The consortium assists domestic industry, academia, and research teams in conducting gamma ray and proton radiation tests on electronic components, enhancing their ability to develop radiation-resistant electronic components.

However, there is still a lack of equipment that can simulate high energy radiation exposure to electrons and heavy ions in the outer space environment, and in the past, manufacturers had to travel to regions such as Europe and North America for testing. As a result of this collaboration, the TVGH Heavy Ion Therapy Center facilities will be able to test the effects of heavy ions on electronic components and modules. This will not only help manufacturers develop radiation-resistant electronic components, but also jointly promote interdisciplinary research in space science.