Synopsis
The paper discusses the experience, lessons learned, and challenges faced by the Philippines in developing its local space workforce and ecosystem, especially in the upstream sector, during the initial years of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).
PhilSA was established in 2019 to promote the peaceful use of space science and technology for national development. As a new agency, PhilSA aims to build local expertise and infrastructure to have independent space capabilities. However, as an emerging space nation, the Philippines faces constraints like limited resources, lack of expertise, and competing priorities.
The paper provides background on PhilSA and its key development areas – national security, disaster management, space R&D, industry growth, education, and international cooperation. It also describes past projects like PHL-MICROSAT and STAMINA4Space that paved the way for PhilSA. Through collaborations with Japan, these projects jumpstarted upstream activities in the Philippines by building the country’s first microsatellites and training local engineers.
PhilSA then continued capacity building through internal training programs, collaborations with academia, and engaging local industry. Internal efforts involved transitioning existing capabilities and establishing facilities like a vibration test lab. Academic collaborations provided research opportunities and scholarships to cultivate talent. Industry partnerships enabled knowledge transfer to companies in manufacturing, electronics and software.
For example, the InDUS3US project had industry engineers partner with PhilSA mentors to design a 3U satellite. The project provided hands-on experience and assessed industry readiness to supply satellite components. Another program trained graduate students in end-to-end satellite development to gain expertise in systems engineering.
These initiatives have achieved milestones like engineering models of satellite payloads, locally built nanosatellites, infrastructure plans, and skilled workforce development. However, challenges remain in long-term planning, sustaining expertise, infrastructure establishment, public engagement, and continuity.
Valuable lessons learned include the need for strategic vision and incremental capacity building through partnerships. A collaborative approach enables resource pooling and technology transfer. Investing in people through training and engaging academia and industry are key. While starting small, building foundational infrastructure is crucial for independent capabilities.
International collaborations provide knowledge sharing and guidance to new entrants. Generating public awareness and support helps sustain the space program. Overall, an incremental, collaborative approach focused on developing human capital and infrastructure can enable emerging space nations to establish solid foundations for their space ecosystem.
The Philippines’ experience demonstrates that building space capabilities as a developing nation requires multifaceted, synergistic efforts. PhilSA’s strategies of fostering partnerships, investing in people, and taking incremental steps provide valuable insights for other emerging space countries seeking to ramp up their capacity. While challenges remain, progress made by PhilSA shows that a collaborative approach can create a supportive environment for growth.
