SIX YEARS after the creation of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), the agency finds itself not only in demand of progressive development but also of sustained support to provide “Filipino tools for Filipino needs.”
Pioneering local space science, PhilSA was established in 2019 to spearhead research on space engineering and geographical assessment, develop space technology, and promote space science. As part of its mission, the agency started the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite project in 2021 to improve climate and water monitoring, air quality readings, and disaster response maps.
Space within Philippine context
Prior to the establishment of PhilSA, the Philippines had already produced satellites, including DIWATA 1 and 2 and cube satellites MAYA 1 to 6. These initiatives aimed to train engineering students by providing data and hands-on experience in satellite operations. Supervised by the Department of Science and Technology, the MAYA series functions similarly to DIWATA satellites, particularly in generating weather forecasts that aid in disaster response, agriculture, and fisheries.
Building on these, PhilSA utilizes data collected from satellites and other monitoring devices to produce disaster response maps, analyze public health trends through urban heat mapping, and monitor environmental damage.
To further improve satellite surveillance, PhilSA introduced MULA—an operational satellite designed to capture wider land images in a single pass, enabling more comprehensive land and water assessment. MULA is expected to support crop monitoring, infrastructure development tracking, assessment of environmental impacts from industrial activities, and enhanced national security through the detection of maritime activities.
Beyond functionality, MULA’s data seeks to be usable for a multitude of end-users, including different government agencies and other countries.
MULA’s journey
In ideating MULA, government agencies and academic institutions considered the Philippines’ needed space capabilities through the 2023 Decadal Survey of Earth Observation in the Philippines, which identified multispectral imagery as the most needed due to its cost-effective efficiency.
However, MULA’s development faced hurdles, such as lacking resources. Program Leader and PhilSA’s Chief Senior Research Specialist Izrael Bautista, PhD noted that the Philippines lacks the facilities capable of building larger satellites. Due to this, PhilSA partnered with Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd., a company based in the United Kingdom, to develop the satellite, while expanding the Filipino engineers’ experience.
Aside from the lack of resources, the project also encountered delays due to the pandemic. Despite these, Bautista asserted that the creation of MULA empowers the Philippine space industry by enabling direct access to satellite data, meaning “that we don’t need to rely on other countries or providers.”
As of October, Bautista reported that MULA is at the tail end of its second phase, ready to be assessed for its “space-worthiness,” and is set to launch in mid-2026.
Philippines’ geological advantage
Apart from MULA, Manila Observatory’s Board of Trustees Member Daniel McNamara highlighted that the Philippines has what it takes to be a force in the space industry, especially with its geographical location.
Both Bautista and McNamara emphasized that being near the equator holds an advantage for space flight. Because the Earth’s rotation is fastest at the equator, launches from this region require less fuel. Moreover, debris is more likely to fall into the Pacific Ocean, making launches safer.
Despite this advantage, the Philippines is still behind other countries in terms of resource availability. Bautista explained that space-advanced countries rely on strong domestic support for complex launches, noting that their universities not only support research and development but also actively contribute to it.
From the classroom to the stars
Though the Philippines is not as advanced as other countries in the space industry, McNamara pointed to the growing role of universities in the country’s space efforts. Ateneo de Davao University offers a program in aerospace engineering, while Rizal Technological University offers an astronomy program. Notably, PhilSA’s earlier satellites were developed for training engineering students.
To empower universities in leading space research, McNamara added that the country must improve space surveillance to improve local space science and education as a whole.
At present, PhilSA continues to advance the country’s space industry. Its 2025–2034 plan includes setting up a satellite constellation and a centralized telecommunications satellite for Southeast Asia, conducting local space launches, and even launching Filipino astronauts.
Once accomplished, PhilSA and MULA will allow the academe and institutions to contribute more to the space race. For now, PhilSA carries that mission, lifting off to the stars of a future that serves its nation.
