The Formosat-7 program is a large-scale science and technology cooperation between Taiwan and the United States with a significant effect on reinforcing bilateral diplomatic and sci-tech exchanges. It complies with the government’s foreign policy to expand multifaceted cooperation with the US, Japan, European and South Asian countries. Based on the agreement between TECRO and AIT signed in 2000, both governments authorize Taiwan’s NSPO and US’s NOAA to run a collaborative program, the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 whose observation data can be integrated into the existing numerical forecasting system of the Central Weather Bureau to enhance accuracy of daily and severe weather forecast (typhoon path and rainfall). The Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute (TTFRI), NARL simultaneously engages in the research and technological development of occultation data application. Its relevant research achievements will serve as important reference and decision-making basis for prevention and control of emergent disaster by the National Science & Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) under the Executive Yuan.
The space science and technology team comprising the National Space Organization as the core member to integrate industry circles, academia and other research institutions, aims to develop independent design and manufacture satellites, payload instruments, data processing and applied technology, balance capability buildup of both key technology of spacecraft and space science and cultivate space talent. The national defense industry helping drive the growth of economy and industrial innovation and this fully conforms to the value-added strategy of national defense. Taiwan＇s technology industry can keep its leading role and promote the dual-use technology by investing in national defense.
The Formosat-7 Reflectometry program includes not only the development of an independent self-manufactured spacecraft bus but also the research and development of a GNSS-Reflectometry instrument payload, four satellite key components (On Board Computer, Power Control Unit, GPS Receiver and Fiber Optical Gyroscope) and a hydrogen peroxide propulsion module. The flight validation after launch will help technological upgrade and marketing and sale of domestic satellite components, and the establishment of the domestic spacecraft industry as well.
One of the missions of the Formosat-7 Reflectometry satellite is to carry out the GNSS ocean reflectometry experiment in space. The observation data collected by the GNSS reflectometer can improve the accuracy of severe weather forecast. Moreover, the Formosat-7 Reflectometry satellite program will be the only existing reflectometry satellite program after the CYGNSS constellation launched at the end of 2016 by NASA. It shall pave the way for the commercialization of meteorological satellite data in the future.

衛星任務軌道：高度600公里、傾角72度
衛星壽命：5年
衛星酬載：GNSS反射訊號接收儀
姿態控制精度：1度
姿態指向精度：0.2度
資料儲存容量：科學資料2Gb、衛星健康資料64Mb
通訊資料速度：上鍊32kbps、下鍊2Mbps
衛星重量：285公斤
衛星尺寸：1.0 (長) x 1.2 (寬) x 1.25 (高) 公尺
國產衛星元件：GNSS反射訊號接收儀、衛星飛行軟體、衛星結構體、衛星電腦、電力控制單元、GPS接收機、光纖陀螺儀、過氧化氫推進模組。

衛星產業包含衛星系統商外(例如美國的Boeing、Lockheed Martin，歐盟的Thales Alenia、Airbus)，也包含提供衛星元件的廠商(例如美國的Goodrich，歐盟的Jena-optronik)。近來由於微衛星與立方衛星任務的蓬勃發展，產生了大量衛星元件之需求。太空中心在福衛五號與福衛七號兩個衛星任務發展期間，同時發展了許多衛星元件，例如但不限於，遙測任務酬載、GNSS-R任務酬載、衛星電腦、電力控制單元、GPS接收機、光纖陀螺儀、過氧化氫推進模組等。目前也規劃發展星象儀、微機電慣性參考元件、X-band通訊模組、SAR任務酬載、太陽能發電模組、衛星電池組等。太空中心在福衛五號與福衛七號衛星順利發射後，將擁有許多有飛行傳承(Flight Heritage)設計的衛星元件，將有助於國產衛星元件技術提升與銷售，有助於建立國內衛星產業。