The “FORMOSAT-3 Program” is a large international collaborative project between Taiwan and the United States. Authorized by the Government of both parties; in Taiwan the project is executed by the National Space Organization (NSPO) whereas in the US it is carried out by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). This project aims to establish a real-time global atmosphere monitoring network, known as “Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate Satellite Constellation Observation System”, i.e.“FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC Program”. This Program is led by NSPO who is responsible for the project planning, system integration, system certification, flight hardware assembling and testing, satellite pre-launch preparation, satellite operation, ground station systems, data analysis center and domestic science groups. Following in a total effort for a period of nearly four years by NSPO has finally come to a completion of the manufacturing, assembling and testing of “FORMOSAT-3”.

All the packing and palletizing procedure for FORMOSAT-3 Satellites have been completed and the satellites are ready for transport at the NSPO's Integration & Testing Building. At noon of today (December 20) the shipment will be loaded on air-bag trailers and depart from NSPO. Escorted by the police, the shipment will be first transported on Chungshan Highway, then Hsinchu System Intersection Road, and through National Highway No.3 and National Highway No. 2, and go onto the Airport Transport Road to the China Airlines Air Cargo Terminal at the CKS International Airport around 2:30pm. They will then be loaded on an air-cargo and accompanied by two NSPO engineers who will be responsible for undertaking routine checkups and safety procedures of the satellites during the flight to the US.

There are eight transport pallets for this shipment including two extra large wooden containers for packing all satellites' and solar arrays. These two containers are covered with waterproof canvas and on which printed both the Taiwanese and the American flags and other logos. Among the logos, there is an abstract symbol of FORMOSAT-3 designed by the winner of logo design competition in NSPO, along side are the signatures of all the project's participating members of NSPO, who proudly marked the existing result of the FORMOSAT-3 Program.

The China Airlines Cargo flight for transporting FORMOSAT-3 to the US is scheduled to depart from the CKS International Airport in the early morning of December 21, and is expected to land at Los Angeles Airport at 11pm December 20, Pacific Standard Time. From there, they will be shipped on the 405 Highway, through the 101 Highway and the 246 Highway, and then arrive at one of NASA's fully facilitated integration and testing location at Vandenberg launch site in California. Furthermore, more than twenty Taiwanese engineers, dispatched by NSPO, were departing on December 18 to be resident in the launch site. They are expected to be fully responsible for carrying out the final integration and preparation for the launch of FORMOSAT-3 Satellites. After numerous testing procedures to ensure zero errors and mistakes, FORMOSAT-3 Satellites will be set to connect to the launch vehicle and the pre-launch procedure will begin.

FORMOSAT-3 Program will establish the first global near real-time atmosphere monitoring network. Consisting of six satellites, FORMOSAT-3 is expected to improve typhoon path and rain forecast, enhance effectiveness of disaster prevention and reduse disaster damage and losses. Therefore, all the world's meteorological centers are awaiting the occultation data that are expected to be obtained by FORMOSAT-3. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has planned to transmit the data to the meteorological center of its members to assist their operation. This will establish Taiwan as a leader in the advanced meteorological field.