Marcos tasks PhilSA with boosting space tech

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tasked the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) with making space technology more accessible to Filipinos, particularly the youth, the agency announced on Monday. This directive follows the recent celebration of Philippine Space Week, which took place from 8 to 14 August.

In 2023, President Marcos signed Proclamation No. 302, aimed at promoting space awareness, celebrating the contributions of Filipinos in space science, and highlighting the value and benefits of space technology on the lives of Filipinos.

PhilSA is currently developing the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite, which is expected to be launched in 2025 or 2026.

The MULA satellite will be the first Filipino satellite in orbit dedicated to Earth observation. It will assist in emergency response, disaster monitoring, and agricultural assessment. Equipped with a multi-spectral camera, the satellite will capture images of the Philippines and other countries.

Additionally, it will utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance its operations.

PhilSA Administrator Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. in an interview with Malacañang Insider, expressed hopes that the MULA satellite will contribute to scientific advancements and foster connectivity in developing areas of the country.

"We only have to look at ourselves on a map to see we’re an archipelago. We have thousands of islands that need to be connected and bridged. We want these islands to be productive and governance to be enabled by better data," he said.

Marciano highlighted the role of satellites in recent environmental monitoring, such as the oil spill in Manila Bay.

He noted that satellites provided comprehensive views of the affected areas, helping to map the extent of the spill and predict its movement using models from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute.

The success of the MULA satellite will be assessed based on how its data is utilized by government agencies, the public, and the private sector. Marciano also emphasized the importance of developing satellites locally.

"We have 16 Filipino engineers in an industrial setting. Their fingerprints are on this satellite. They are gaining know-how and understanding the inner workings of the technology, which will benefit future local satellite development," Marciano said.

PhilSA has also obtained a license to remanufacture satellites domestically in the future, paving the way for partnerships with local Filipino companies to develop space-qualified products. Currently, the Philippines has one satellite in orbit, the Diwata-2, which was launched in 2018.

Established in 2019, PhilSA is tasked with managing and operating the Philippines’ space program, a responsibility previously held by the Department of Science and Technology.