The Philippines and the United Kingdom are looking to deepen cooperation in space science and technology, satellite data, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovation, as the two countries prepare for the launch of the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite.

Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Acting Director General Dr. Gay Jane Perez met with United Kingdom Trade Commissioner Martin Kent to discuss MULA's upcoming launch and future opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in space technology applications, according to posts by the British Embassy in the Philippines and PhilSA.

The British Embassy said MULA, developed in partnership with the United Kingdom, would support disaster response, agriculture, and environmental monitoring across the Philippines.

The satellite is expected to give the Philippines greater capacity to use Earth observation data for disaster risk reduction and management, as well as for monitoring land, resources, and environmental conditions.

PhilSA has said MULA will provide data for agriculture, maritime monitoring, disaster risk reduction and management, and national security applications.

The agency has also cited the importance of satellite data in disaster operations, including the production of maps showing landslide and earthquake damage, oil spills, burned areas, and flood extents for government disaster response agencies and local governments.

PhilSA previously said MULA's higher-resolution imaging capability would allow the country to better monitor terrestrial ecosystems, land and marine resources, agricultural activity, and environmental conditions for more proactive disaster management and mitigation.

“From Earth observation to space innovation, the UK and the Philippines are reaching new heights together,” the British Embassy said.

MULA, described by PhilSA as the country's most advanced satellite to date, is now fully built and undergoing space environment testing in the United Kingdom to verify that it meets technical and mission-assurance requirements.

During the ninth meeting of the Philippine Space Council in June, Perez reported that MULA could be launched in April 2027 aboard SpaceX's Transporter-20, although PhilSA stressed that the development schedule could still change depending on the results of testing.

The satellite will carry a TrueColour camera capable of producing 5-meter-resolution images, as well as Automatic Identification System and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast payloads for detecting and tracking ships and aircraft.

“As MULA paves the way for a new era of capability, the UK looks forward to deepening its partnership with PhilSA and advancing even more ambitious space collaborations,” the British Embassy said.

The UK-Philippines space partnership has been closely linked to MULA's development, with Filipino engineers receiving satellite-development training and hands-on experience from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) in the United Kingdom.

PhilSA said most MULA engineers have completed intensive know-how transfer and hands-on training with SSTL, allowing them to apply advanced satellite engineering expertise in the Philippines.

The agency also previously reported that a UK trade envoy met with PhilSA and MULA engineers in 2022 to discuss the satellite project and opportunities to build more sovereign Philippine satellites in the future.

PhilSA's June report said the Philippine Space Council had approved the development of a MULA constellation as a national priority, allowing follow-on satellites to be developed and integrated domestically to ensure more continuous access to Earth-observation data.

PhilSA said the initiative would help build a Philippine space industry and establish a nationally owned and operated Earth-observation capability for the country's strategic requirements.