In one of the buildings of the University of the Philippines science complex, a team of young engineers and scientists is busy at work - studying and building what is supposed to be the countrys first locally made satellite.
Among them is electronics engineer Renzo Wee from Zamboanga, who is responsible for ensuring that the cube satellite can withstand the harsh environment of outer space.
He helped set up a monitor showing the movement of one of the Philippine satellites already deployed in space, Diwata-2, which was assembled by Filipino engineers in another country.
Wee pointed to a marker showing Diwata-2 in the area of the United States.
It wont pass over the Philippines until much later, the 24-year-old engineer said.
The marker inched up the map, which basically means Diwata-2 is moving - hurtling across space - 620 kilometers above ground.
The satellite that Wee and the other scholars are working on is much smaller than the 56-kilogram Diwata-2. At 10 cubic centimeters, a cube satellite can easily rest on the palm of your hand. Despite its small size, it is packed with instruments such as sensors and cameras, which will allow government to survey agricultural crops, protected forests and other areas of concern.
CHILDHOOD DREAM
As a child, Wee dreamt of becoming an astronaut and so he was immensely interested when he read on social media that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was offering scholarships for those willing to participate in their microsatellite program.
Its better to live a life full of Oh wells than live a life full of What ifs, he said, recalling how he decided to try out for the scholarship, which requires participants to let go of their jobs to become full-time students.
For the longest time, young Filipinos like Wee who wanted to become astronauts or be involved in space research had no way of pursuing it in the Philippines. Those who had the means to seriously pursue their passion often had to study and work abroad.
But in recent years, the Philippines has been investing in space research. Since 2015, UP and the DOSTs Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) have been sending engineers to Japan to participate in its microsatellite program, in a bid to further the nations technological capabilities and to save money spent on satellite imagery from other countries. The partnership with Japan has resulted in the assembly and launch of the following satellites in the last four years: microsatellite Diwata-1 (2016), cube satellite Maya-1 (2018) and microsatellite Diwata-2 (2018).
In August, the Philippines approved a law creating its own space agency.
With the future of space exploration looking bright, Wee is excited to see what will happen in the next few years.
IMPORTANT STEP
After a series of tests and screening, Wee and seven others from different science backgrounds and regions were accepted into UPs graduate program for electrical engineering and into the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) program of the DOST.
For Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano, who heads the STAMINA4Space program and the DOST-ASTI, said making cube satellites locally is an important step for the Philippines.
Building satellites is one way you can be in space, he said. These smaller satellites are becoming more powerful, can take meaningful missions, experiments in space.
Marciano said it can be likened to cellphones that are small but are now able to take videos and other data.
We expect these platforms (satellites) to evolve, he says.
Marciano said they chose a university setting for their team because of practical reasons - an existing graduate program, among others - and the fact that all the creative ideas, all the young enthusiastic hardworking people are there.
You just need to guide and mentor them. Give them a lot of resources, he said.
UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Under the nanosatellite track of UPs Master of Science or Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering program, the scholars are being personally trained by senior engineers who created the first batch of Filipino-made satellites.
Assistant professor Paul Jason Co, head of the STAMINA4Spaces Space Science and Technology Proliferation through University Partnerships (STeP-UP), says the students attend lectures and are subjected to hands-on training.
They learn about satellite communications, space environment, orbital mechanics, Co said. In directed studies thats where they actually learn how to build the cube satellite.
Co said they have a replica of Maya-1, which they use to teach the graduate students. Theyve been studying the different components of Maya-1Theyve been playing around with all aspects of Maya-1. And they do that hands-on not just by reading books. And thats the very unique part of this degree program.
As Wee and the others work on their computers, computer engineer Lorilyn Daquioag is hunched over a circuit board, cutting and connecting wires.
The 31-year-old engineer from Davao City is studying how to create an onboard computer.
(Its) the brain of the satellite, she said as she tested her work.
Like Daquioag, two scholars from the Philippine Navys Naval Research and Technology Department - electronics and communications engineer Marielle Gregorio, 32, and computer science graduate Christy Raterta, 30 - are working on their circuit boards.
Their ultimate mission? To help start the Navys own microsatellite program.
While our ships have radars for surveillance, the coverage is limited. If you have a satellite in space, your will have a broader coverage, said Gregorio, who hails from Bohol.
Gregorio is assigned to build the electronic power system, which gives life to the satellite, while Raterta is responsible for the satellites program. Both of them work together on the satellites radio.
Its fun, Raterta, who is from Iligan, told ABS-CBN. Each one of us have his or her own set of skills. So we are able to help each other on areas we are not familiar with.
Bryan Custodio, 22, who was an electronics engineering instructor at the FEU Institute of Technology, said their rigorous training is one-of-a-kind.
Every day is a chance to learn something new, says Custodio who is the designated team leader.
CHALLENGES
Since all of the scholars are required to be full-time students, relying mainly on their stipends, each of them has had to make their own sacrifices.
You have to leave your job. All of us have our own sacrifices, said Daquioag who not only had to leave her career in the software industry but also bring her child with her to live in Metro Manila.
Despite this, she said getting the scholarship is a great opportunity to learn skills that she can share with the younger generation of Filipinos who want to be involved in science and technology.
Meanwhile, Gregorio has to be away from her daughters who are staying with her parents in Bohol. Although this has been the case before as she and her husband, who is also with the Navy, are deployed elsewhere in the Philippines.
For the most part, these young engineers believe that challenges make the work more interesting.
Gladys Bajaro, who was a research staff of the Philippine microsatellite program before applying for a scholarship, said she is inspired to follow the footsteps of senior engineers who constructed the Philippines first microsatellites.
Its challenging but exciting work so far, said the 21-year-old electronics and communications engineer who is in charge of the ground station and the satellites mission payload, which will include cameras and other components.
Meanwhile, electronics engineer Judiel Reyes, 25, and applied physics graduate Derick Canceran, 21, are both fascinated at the number of components they are trying to fit inside the cube satellite.
How do they fit everything into a single cube? Reyes said. That brings excitement to engineers - to be able to do something that seems impossible.
Its also a challenge to decide which components to choose, said Canceran, who is using his physics background to set up the satellites control system.
There are also challenges that are out of the engineers' hands, such as procurement through a government institution.
The program is still new so acquiring equipment is still a challenge, Canceran says.
Marciano says the program is really meant to reveal inherent problems in transplanting processes learned overseas.
We dont want our researchers worrying about those things, Marciano says of administrative and other logistical tasks.
LOCALIZATION
Besides testing how possible it is to assemble satellites in the Philippines, Co said among the main objectives of the program is to localize payload such as cameras.
They will do this by using locally-made and commercially-available components and testing them in space.
In the past, it was the other way around, with scientists and engineers creating space-grade equipment that are later used on Earth. With the advancement in technology, some consumer components might prove to be space-grade as well, according to Marciano.
We are engaging local industries, Co said. At the end of the day, the main goal of the program is to build the space industry (in the Philippines).
Co said this will ensure that locally-made satellites will remain sustainable. Its not sustainable to always rely on foreign partners for supply.
Marciano added that they want to encourage the local industry to go beyond their usual customer-supplier relationship.
We want to bring that to the next level, he says. We want to have partnerships with industry groups and companies wherein theyre also willing to make an investment to learning this technology and how they can expand their current portfolio.
FUTURE
In a year or so, the scholars will delivery two cube satellites, which will then be deployed in space to join other Philippine satellites.
During Diwata-2s anniversary this year, Marciano said the Philippines will have 13 satellites in five years, some of them in space and the others serving as engineering models for students.
Asked what their plans are after the launch, team leader Custodio said he might go back to the academe and share what he learned, adhering to the main objective of the program.
Like the others, he is also mulling the possibility of joining the government.
Once the Philippine Space Agency is fully established, maybe we can all be part of it, he said.
As for Wee, he is already thinking about the possibility of the Philippines launching its own rocket in the future.
Were near the equator. Its more efficient, he said. Thatll be our advantage against other launching sites. It would boost our economy.
While Marciano believes that it will probably take a long time before we can launch our own rocket or send a Filipino to space, he is optimistic about bringing the microsatellite program down to the undergraduate and even high school level.
He said people should not underestimate cube satellites, which provide society with important data.
Satellites are things that we utilize every day, Marciano said, explaining how they are used for weather monitoring, mapping land use, traffic apps and systems used to observe the earth from space. Without them we are less productive.
At the end of the day, its all about information being at hand when we need it. Satellites contribute to it, he said.
Last month, STAMINA4Space announced a new call for applications for its second batch of scholars. Visit their Facebook page (STAMINA4Space / PHL-Microsat) for more information.
satellite, cube satellite, DOST, space, space technology, Department of Science and Technology, University of the Philippines
Go here to read the rest:
Meet the future of Philippine space exploration - ABS-CBN News
- Space | National Archives - January 5th, 2017 [January 5th, 2017]
- 50 Years of Presidential Visions for Space Exploration - January 30th, 2017 [January 30th, 2017]
- New 'Life' Trailer Brings Terrifying Thrills from Mars (Exclusive) - Space.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Obama gutted NASA. Here are 3 ways Trump can make space ... - Conservative Review - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Dassault Systemes sets eyes on space exploration, faster transport - Economic Times - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Cassini Captures Stunning View of Enceladus | Space Exploration ... - Sci-News.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: Astronauts' Brains Are Changed By Spaceflight, MRI-Based Study Reveals - International Business Times - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- TeamIndus launches Moonshot Wheels to inspire Indian rural students about Space Exploration - International Business Times, India Edition - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Belarus invites Iran to cooperate in pharmaceutical industry, space exploration - Belarus News (BelTA) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Cabinet briefed on India-Vietnam Framework Agreement on outer space exploration - Daily News & Analysis - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Legislation Would Require Strategic Plan for NASA Human Spaceflight - Space.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Trump's Vision of Space Exploration - The New American - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- New NASA Leadership Inherits Rejuvenated Space Exploration Program - eNews Park Forest - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Outgoing NASA Team Leaves Its Successors With Robust Options for Space Exploration - Center For American Progress - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Space exploration brought to life for pupils - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Mechs and greater space exploration are on the way in Starbound's ... - PCGamesN - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- As US, Russia eye stagnant space budgets, India ramps up investment - Ars Technica - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Nuclear Reactors to Power Space Exploration - R & D Magazine - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- NASA spends $2mn on 'advanced life support tech' for deep space travel - RT - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: Could A Habitable Planet Feature A Habitable Moon? - Forbes - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Turkmenistan Aims High as It Pledges Space Exploration - EurasiaNet - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Republicans Aim to Prioritize NASA Space Exploration Efforts Over Environmental Research - Independent Journal Review - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- One huge step: Trump's plans to privatize 'low Earth orbit' and send NASA into deep space - Yahoo News - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- How reusable rockets are paving the way for the next phase of space exploration - Mirror.co.uk - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- NASA Funds 2 New Research Institutes to Help Humanity Explore Deep Space - Space.com - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Space Startups Are Booming in the Mojave Desert - Fortune - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Sen. Nelson Talks Space Exploration At Florida A&M University ... - WFSU - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- DELINGPOLE: NASA to Stop Shilling for Big Green, Restart Exploring Space - Breitbart News - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Nuclear reactors to power space exploration - Los Alamos Monitor - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Space exploration programs must continue - The Eagle - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Editorial: Exploration can help us understand this planet - Loveland Reporter-Herald - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- NASA selects new technologies for flight tests for future space exploration - Space Daily - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Why Does NASA Suddenly Want Humans On New Spacecraft's First Flight? - Vocativ - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- NASA seeks university-level solutions for deep space human exploration challenges - Pulse Headlines - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Should Humans Leave Space Exploration To Robots? - Forbes - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Space Exploration - WGN Radio - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- EDITORIAL: Jumping at space travel - Indiana Daily Student - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Why the 'ultimate wearables' lie in the future of space exploration - Wareable - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- How to improve SA's space program - News24 - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Darlington power plant helps fuel NASA's space exploration - CTV News - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Donald Trump Will Call For a Return of Human Space Exploration - Inverse - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- What Donald Trump Said About Space Travel During His Speech - Heavy.com - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Trump's call for human space exploration is hugely wasteful and pointless - Los Angeles Times - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- What is the fascination with space exploration? - Grand Valley Lanthorn - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Teachers attend space exploration conference, bring back lessons out of this world - Arlington Times - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Reader applauds space exploration pioneers - Fairfaxtimes.com - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Jeff Bezos Expected to Unveil Further Plans for Private Space Exploration - Wall Street Journal (subscription) - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Your Cheat-Sheet Guide to the New Space Race - Slate Magazine - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Amazon chief to announce new space exploration plans - RT - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Amazon Chief Bezos Expected to Unveil Further Private Space Exploration Plans - Fox Business - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- If India or China Beats the US to Mars, It Will Feel Like a Military Defeat - Slate Magazine - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- When We Explore Space, We Go Together - Slate Magazine - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- How Barack Obama ruined NASA space exploration - The Hill (blog) - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Future Tense Newsletter: Space Exploration Isn't Just About Scientific Discovery - Slate Magazine (blog) - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- NASA Funds 133 Projects to Aid Deep Space Exploration - PC Magazine - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- A Trinity professor will play a big role in space exploration - thejournal.ie - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Congress Passes Space Exploration Act, Targets Mars - America Now - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Russia Aims to Develop New Cooperation in Space Exploration - Sputnik International - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- NASA Announces 2017 'Chroniclers,' Recognizing Those Who ... - SpaceCoastDaily.com - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- The Pros And Cons Of Privatizing Space Exploration - Forbes - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Space Exploration Experts Look to Next Frontiers at Event - UMass Lowell - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- CNSA boss outlines China's space exploration agenda - SpaceNews - SpaceNews - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- These Are the Wildly Advanced Space Exploration Concepts Being ... - Gizmodo - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation - Wikipedia - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- A Brief History of Space Exploration - The Aerospace Corporation - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Americans Like Spending Money on Space Exploration, Survey Finds - Inverse - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Launch of India's biggest rocket is a defining moment in space exploration - DailyO - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Space Matter: The Trouble with Spacesuits :: Science :: Features ... - Paste Magazine - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- China willing to cooperate in peaceful space exploration: Xi - Space Daily - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Pence reiterates plans to reestablish the National Space Council - SpaceNews - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: Can Private Companies Operate in Space? - Law Street Media (blog) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Space Exploration Game 'Outreach' Receives First Gameplay Trailer ... - Hardcore Gamer - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Will Space Exploration lead us to a Global Space Agency - Space Daily - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- The Origami of Space Exploration - Scientific American (blog) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Ocean vs Space: Exploration and the Quest to Inspire the Public - Marine Technology News - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- A 3D-printed rocket engine just launched a new era of space exploration - The Independent - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Belarus' drive for peaceful space exploration underlined - Belarus News (BelTA) - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Here's why you should pay close attention to India's space program - Mashable - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- China to provide more opportunities to private companies for space exploration - Space Daily - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Space exploration: The solutions to land scarcity - Real Estate Weekly - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]