Investing in space science, technology and application will lead to the creation of more high-value skills and jobs in the country, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) said.
“Investing in space science, technology and applications can help create more high value skills and jobs, which are useful across a wide range of modern industries,” PhilSA Director-General Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano, Jr. said in a recent virtual briefing.
Mariano said that gaining knowledge and experience in satellites, and sharing them to local design and manufacturing services will place the country on a path of establishing stronger industries that will boost its global competitiveness.
The Philippines has recently reached a new milestone in its space technology development program following the successful launch of the country’s first university-built satellites to the International Space Station (ISS).
Dubbed as Maya-3 and Maya-4, the two low-orbit cube satellites arrived at the ISS on Aug. 30 after hitchhiking aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The Mayas were designed and developed by the first batch of scholars under the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation, and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) Program’s Space Science and Technology Proliferation through University Partnerships (STeP-UP).
Following this historic feat, the PhilSA, STAMINA4Space, and key government agencies are now gearing for their next goal of developing the country’s “next-generation” satellite.
Filipino engineers and scientist are currently developing a 130-kilogram earth observation satellite called Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA), which is targeted for launch by 2023.
MULA Project Manager Engr. John Leur Labrador said the satellite will be equipped to capture images for agricultural applications, record the evolution of infrastructure and public spaces, and help with the national security through detection of maritime vessels and aircraft within its range, among others.
“Some of you might be asking, why not just use free data? Why don’t you just buy from other satellites? Yes, there’s available satellite imagery that are for free – but they are not fit for our purpose,” Labrador said.
STAMINA4Space Program Leader Dr. Maricor Soriano, said MULA symbolizes a turning point in the Philippines’ space journey.
“Developing MULA is a fitting finale that allows the transition of satellite development from an academic, research setting to an operational, PhilSA-led endeavor,” she said.
“Our space initiatives would not be possible without the seamless collaboration of all the institutes represented here today, as well as the media who help communicate our story to the public. May this harmonious relationship carry us all the way to MULA’s targeted launch in 2023,” she added.