Taiwan's National Space Agency (TASA) successfully launched its first self-developed sounding rocket, named "MARAHO," on the morning of August 22, 2026, from the Xuhai research rocket launch site in Pingtung. The successful test flight marked a major milestone for TASA's orbital rocket program, completing critical launch procedures including ignition, flight, parachute deployment, and establishing full end-to-end communication.
According to official flight parameters, the "MARAHO" rocket lifted off at 7:10 AM. The hybrid propulsion system fired for 18 seconds, generating a liftoff thrust of 1,500 kilograms. The rocket accelerated to a maximum speed of 408 meters per second, equivalent to supersonic speed at Mach 1.2. It reached its peak altitude of 8.1 kilometers 49 seconds after launch, completing a total flight duration of 432 seconds.
A primary objective of the mission was to test and verify the ground-to-rocket end-to-end communication system to enable real-time telemetry downlink during the flight. At the final stage of the flight, the rocket deployed its two-stage parachute system and landed in the ocean as planned. While high waves and drifting prevented the recovery team from retrieving the physical rocket body, TASA confirmed that all critical flight data had been successfully transmitted to the ground station during the flight, ensuring no impact on the test results.
The "MARAHO" rocket, named after Taiwan's endemic Agehana maraho butterfly, is 7.2 meters long with a diameter of 0.4 meters. Its propulsion system relies on a hybrid design utilizing 90% hydrogen peroxide and polypropylene (PP). The butterfly's prominent red tail protrusion inspired the visual design of the rocket, symbolizing the tail flames of a rocket during liftoff.
TASA initiated its domestic orbital rocket development project in 2023 under the guidance of the National Science and Technology Council. The agency aims to build sovereign space launch capabilities, with the long-term goal of sending a 200-kilogram payload into low Earth orbit by 2034. To mitigate development risks, TASA plans to launch the first-generation suborbital test rocket (STV1) in 2029 and the second-generation test rocket (STV2) in 2031 before the final orbital flight test.
