Taiwan's space agency successfully launched its first domestically developed sounding rocket on Saturday, marking a step toward the island's goal of independent orbital access by the next decade.
The Maraho vehicle lifted off from the Xuhai launch site in Pingtung County at 7:10 a.m. local time, climbing to 8.1 kilometres in 49 seconds and reaching a peak speed of Mach 1.2 before splashing down after a 432-second flight. A two-stage parachute deployed as planned, though rough seas prevented recovery teams from retrieving the booster. All flight telemetry was relayed to ground stations in real time.
The 7.2-metre rocket uses a hybrid propulsion system running on hydrogen peroxide and polypropylene. Director-General Wu Jong-shinn said repeated test flights will build the experience needed for larger vehicles, with suborbital tests planned for 2029 and 2031 ahead of a target orbital launch carrying a 200-kilogram payload by 2034.