The ASP Project, which kicked off in December 2020, presented the baseline Technical Design and Contract for Phase 1 of the project. Since then, the project has completed critical milestones in the satellite’s development phase. In April 2021, 42 representatives from the Philippines were awarded with Satellite Technology Training course certificates from know-how and satellite development training provider Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd. (SSTL), and 9 Filipino Engineers were deployed to the UK for hands-on training. Before returning to the Philippines on August 22, 2021, the MULA engineers completed the  Preliminary Design Review where they presented a detailed design of each subsystem that showed conformance to the satellite mission, wrapped up consultation for in-country facilities, and concluded the Phase 1 hands-on training of Filipino Engineers in the UK. The ASP Project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), implemented by the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) and the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), and done in coordination with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), who will oversee its completion and expected launch by 2023, as well its management and operation thereafter. 

MULA benefits and capabilities

MULA Project Manager Engr. John Leur Labrador gave a detailed presentation of MULA’s technical specifications, applications, and where the team is in the satellite’s timeline. He expounded on MULA’s intended applications: Its TrueColor camera’s capability to capture images for agricultural applications such as crop monitoring and harvesting forecast and record the evolution of infrastructure and public spaces to give information such as the effect of a disaster over area of concern, environmental effects of industrial activities and status and progress of infrastructure projects at remote locations; and the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payloads’ capability to help national security through increased situational awareness via detection of maritime vessels and aircraft within the satellite range.

He also shared what else we can gain from building our own satellite with these capabilities over utilizing data from foreign satellite subscriptions.

“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,” he said, and expounded on how foreign satellites might not capture areas that  we are observing at the moment, how they don’t have the colors or spectral bands that we would want and need, and how they might not be at a resolution where we can gather data most effectively.

“More importantly there’s value in space data. Right now, a comparable satellite image that MULA can produce is priced at 64 Pesos per square kilometer. MULA is designed to capture 120,000 square kilometers per day. But let’s try to be conservative – the Philippines is sometimes covered with clouds so we can’t really see anything below the clouds so let’s use a reasonable estimate of let’s say 58 percent of that land area so we come up with 73,660 square kilometers per day of satellite imagery,” he said. “Over 5 years, that sums up to 8.6 billion Pesos of total investment gains. This is just the image alone, and we’re not yet counting the indirect benefits that will be realized when we help with the decision-making process of the different national agencies using satellite imagery. So as you can see, in 5 years, we can recoup and get much more value from the total investment cost that’s initially given to the satellite budget.”

Moving the Philippines’ space development forward

PhilSA Director-General Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano, Jr. discussed the significance of the strides made through MULA. “Obtaining knowhow in satellites and cascading them to local design and manufacturing services will help put the country on a path of building stronger industries In aerospace, semiconductor, electronics, mechanical and materials, for example, that enhance our country’s global competitiveness. 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,” he said. “At its core, space-grade systems and components are essentially high reliability products, and the capabilities in designing, prototyping, producing and testing of such products can be applied across many industries and applications, e.g. automotive, medical, geothermal, mining, deep water off-shore exploration, military, etc. A Philippine industry that can build more complex, i.e. ‘difficult’, products is poised to capture and offer higher value creation and retention for the country,” he added.

DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña expressed his admiration for the MULA engineers and his hopes for what will come next – with the project being the first official collaboration between DOST and PhilSA. “I really hope that this will lead to the big leap that we hope to accomplish. We may have started late in the area of space technology development, but, as other countries observe, we are catching up fast and I am confident that pretty soon, we will really be, shall we say, in the league of space technology. We are looking forward to reaching even greater heights with you, and of course, with PhilSA, the University of the Philippines Diliman, and of course the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute,” he said.

UPD Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Ma. Theresa T. Payongayong commended the engineers as well, the significance of these space initiatives, and affirmed the university’s shared goals. “It is not uncommon spending years pouring time and resources and skills of space scientists and engineers into research and development for the country’s benefit. From satellite design devt, to knowhow training, launch, actual use and management, this important technological innovation further strengthens the country’s capabilities to transform and improve the Filipinos’ well-being and the way they live,” she said. “This is consistent with the vision of the University of the Philippines Diliman to serve as a modern research university with a public mission. In the words of Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, this means bringing together the best minds in different disciplinal clusters to produce innovative and integrated solutions to development changes,” she added. 

In his welcome remarks, DOST-ASTI Director Dr. Franz A. de Leon highlighted the bigger journey that lies ahead “Today, an even bigger space journey awaits us as we get introduced to the builders of the country’s first next-generation satellite, MULA. As much as we are all excited to hear the latest updates on MULA, we are also thrilled that this will inevitably increase our space capabilities and provide more opportunities to harness space technologies,” he said. 

For STAMINA4Space Program Leader Dr. Maricor Soriano, 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.” 

Watch the livestream recording on the PhilSA Facebook page.

The post PhilSA, STAMINA4Space showcase value and capabilities of MULA satellite appeared first on STAMINA4Space.

The Philippines is gearing up for its next generation of satellites. 

Sustaining the gains from the country’s microsatellites DIWATA-1 and DIWATA-2, plans are underway to have a bigger  Earth Observation satellite that can capture operational-quality – images of approximately 100,000 km² of land area daily. Dubbed the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment, or MULA, the commercial-grade satellite will weigh 130kg—the country’s biggest to date. 

As shared by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña in a report on February 2021, the newest satellite initiative is currently being developed by the DOST-funded Advanced Satellite and Know-how Transfer for the Philippines (ASP) Project as part of the science agency’s priority agenda under the emerging technologies sector of providing space technology applications to public services. The project is implemented by the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) and the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), and in coordination with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), who will oversee its completion and expected launch by 2023, as well its management and operation thereafter. It is being designed and manufactured together with British company Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). SSTL is one of the leading providers of small satellite development and know-how-transfer. 

The new satellite, MULA, will carry a TrueColor camera capable of capturing 5m resolution images with a wide swath width of 120km. It will have 9 spectral bands that can be used for different environmental applications such as disaster management, land use and land cover change mapping, crop monitoring, and forestry management. TrueColour was derived from SSTL’s Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) satellite. Incorporating it into MULA’s 130-kg-mass category will be “a new benchmark for Earth Observation capabilities at this mass and price point,” said SSTL Managing Director, Phil Brownnett in a press release. The satellite will also be equipped with two other payloads: Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), which can be utilized for ship and aircraft detection and tracking. The preliminary mission objectives of the satellite were determined based on a needs assessment conducted by the ASP Project of the Space Technology Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) Program with various stakeholders in the Philippines during the first quarter of 2020. 

“We are all very excited to start the development of MULA. Equipped with the acquired technical know-how and capabilities through our experiences in building DIWATA and MAYA satellites, we are now moving forward with our first operational and industrial quality satellite aimed towards providing a wide range of socio-economic benefits for the country,” said PhilSA Deputy Director-General and ASP Project Leader Dr. Gay Jane Perez. “With its capability to capture higher resolution images, we will be able to better monitor terrestrial ecosystems, as well as our land and marine resources to ensure both agricultural productivity and environmental integrity. In addition, we will also be able to assess environmental conditions to be more proactive in disaster management and mitigation.” 

Dr. Perez further explained that while MULA will be the first of next generation satellites aimed at further strengthening the Philippines’ space technology research, development, and innovation activities, the initiatives won’t be from scratch, but rather, a continuation of unwavering efforts to capacitate our country in developing its own capabilities towards building a space ecosystem and adding value in space. “This is of course done not only to keep up with the global competitiveness but most importantly, it is so we can minimize our reliance on foreign technologies… so we can have our own scientists and engineers whose expertise in space science and technologies can be targeted and tailored specifically to the needs of our land and our people,” she said. 

Since the first phase of the Know-How Training and Transfer (KHTT) for TrueColour kicked off in December 2020, over 30 Filipino engineers have remotely attended a small satellite system design course conducted by SSTL. Nine engineers are currently undergoing full immersion for the satellite design and manufacture process in the UK, having just passed the Qualification Status Review—an important design phase milestone. Simultaneously, ASP’s local team has been continuing its mission definition and know-how transfer efforts.  

MULA Project Manager Engr. John Leur Labrador says that the planned multispectral imager calibrated for land assessment can be thought of as having our own “astronaut” in space. 

“We can think of this spacecraft as a Filipino astronaut tasked to take images of our natural resources while monitoring aircraft and ship activity in our country at the same time,” he said. “We aim to significantly increase the land area captured by this satellite compared to our previous ones, effectively increasing the information gathered from the produced images.

Having worked on the Philippines’ small satellite projects since 2015, Labrador says he feels privileged for the opportunity. “It’s inspiring to think how far we’ve come, but at the same time, moving forward is an ever-present challenge,” he shared. “However, I’m confident that we are headed in the right direction, spearheaded by this project and the multitude of space technology ventures we are pursuing. These activities will bring Filipinos closer to our goal of playing a significant role in the rapidly expanding and high potential field of space technology.”

“The advancement of space research and development in the Philippines has always been part of the DOST’s priority goals, so the creation of the PhilSA during my service as DOST Secretary is something that I will always be proud of,” said Secretary Dela Peña. “More than the building of infrastructures and creation of micro-satellites, we have to train our young Filipino engineers. It is very crucial for us to build a competent pool of human resources who will train and inspire the next generation of Filipino scientific minds,” he continued.

“I commend these young Filipino engineers for continuously working hard to produce promising research and development (R&D) outputs, particularly their work on the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite. I am very happy to note that they have just passed the Qualification Status Review (QSR), which is a crucial stage in the satellite’s design phase throughout their satellite development training with the SSTL of the United Kingdom (UK). Kudos to the whole team.” 

“When we build satellites, we also aim to boost local industrial capabilities for producing high reliability systems. These are differentiated by their ability to work well in difficult and harsh environments (such as space), and can be at the core of globally competitive products,” said PhilSA Director-General Dr. Joel Marciano, Jr. “Furthermore, we use the satellites to generate images and other data, which we control and mobilize to support evidence-based policies for better governance, leading to productive communities and inclusive development. This is in line with PhilSA’s mission of value addition and creation from space that supports societal benefit and economic development.”

“The team also faced many challenges before we got to this point, made more difficult by the pandemic. We had to ensure that all documents are crafted according to what is required, that all compliance boxes are ticked off, and that proper coordination is made with various offices, which were often done at dizzying speeds like an orbiting satellite moving at 7km/s,” said DOST-ASTI Chief Science Research Specialist Engr. Alvin E. Retamar. He likened the project’s beginnings to a space sci-fi journey, with the engineers’ deployment to the UK right before the Covid-19 travel restrictions being a real life adventure in itself. 

He also noted that this project is the DOST-ASTI’s second time working with SSTL, with the first one being the capacity-sharing agreement signed by the two parties in 2019 for NovaSAR-1.  “I must note that the familiarity should help us move things forward as we take some of the guesswork out for both parties. All these efforts and factors brought us to where the project is now and we all look forward to its completion. Till that day, tasks remain, the road is still long, so may the odds be ever in our favor.”  

Secretary Dela Peña also noted how the DOST, through the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), has spearheaded various initiatives that helped build a strong foundation for this endeavor. “Indeed, we have come a long way since the launching of the Diwata-1 microsatellite to the International Space Station(ISS)  in 2016, but there is still a lot of work to be done. We have just started,” he said. 

“To sustain our momentum, it is crucial that resources continue to be available for our satellite development and space applications activities, which are all aligned with our national development goals. This is recognized in the Philippine Space Act no less,” adds Dr. Marciano. The PhilSA recently submitted its 2022 budget proposal to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), with the development of MULA being included in its flagship program, ‘Build, Build, Build in Space (B3iS) – Philippine Satellites as a Vital Component of a National Information Infrastructure’.

The Philippine Space Agency was established on August 8, 2019, when the Republic Act 11363 or “Philippine Space Act” was signed into law. PhilSA builds on the foundation created by the development, launch, and operation of Earth Observation microsatellites Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, and CubeSats Maya-1, Maya-2 and the upcoming Maya satellites under STAMINA4Space (formerly “The Development of Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite” or “PHL-Microsat” Program), together with Japanese university partners.

“STAMINA4Space, like all government-funded programs, has a termination date,” said STAMINA4Space Program Leader Dr. Maricor Soriano. “Developing MULA is a fitting finale that allows the transition of satellite development from an academic, research setting to an operational, PhilSA-led endeavor.” 

PRESS CONTACTS

Tricia Zafra

Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA)

Email: tricia.zafra@philsa.gov.ph

Nikki Ignacio

Advanced Satellite and Know-How Transfer for the Philippines (ASP) Project, STAMINA4Space

Email: info@stamina4space.upd.edu.ph or nikki.ignacio@stamina4space.upd.edu.ph

The post Next generation of PH satellites under way appeared first on STAMINA4Space.