One of the most historic yet understated achievements of President Rodrigo Duterte is the signing into law of the Philippine Space Act (R.A. No. 11363), formally centralizing the Philippine space program through the creation of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).
Sixty years after Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin first orbited the earth and fifty years after the Apollo 11 Mission, the Philippines has formally established an institution devoted solely towards space research and development.
Prior to the PhilSA, the space program was scattered among different agencies within the Department of Science and Technology, such as the the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
This arrangement has made the previous space program seem scattershot, as space research and development are not the main mandates of the above agencies, resulting in funding difficulties.
But with a centralized agency with the mandate to make the Philippines space-ready within specific timeframes, sending Filipino astronauts to space should happen within this lifetime.
However, a critical element in this development is the fact that the Philippines’ longstanding strategic ally, the United States, has failed the country in developing this aspect of their bilateral relations.
As early as 1966, the two nations have discussed the possibility of establishing a joint space program to monitor storms in Asia.
But in the last fifty-four years, the US have only been able to support the launching of three Philippine satellites, with the first only in 1987 and the subsequent launches occurring only in the last four years. This is equivalent to one satellite every 18 years. Certainly, this is not how strategic allies should manage this aspect of their bilateral relations.
In fact, the Philippines would have been able to send its first astronaut to space in 2015 in the person of Chino Roque had the US provide significant state support towards this endeavor. Unfortunately, the privately funded spaceflight was shelved in 2017 due to bankruptcy.
In the opinion of Barry E. Wilmore, an American astronaut who had two spaceflights, a government agreement between the Philippines and Russia may be needed to realize the dream to put a Filipino into space.
Funding constraints
Similar to most developing economies without a credible space program, the major limitation for space research and development has been the lack of government funding.
For 2020, the space program will receive a budget of PHP 1-Billion ($20-Million).
For context, NASA’s proposed 2020 budget stands at $22.6-Billion, which is 1,130 times larger than the PH space program budget.
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On the other hand, Moscow’s 2020 space program budget is equivalent to RUB 176-Billion ($2.77-Billion), or 138.5 times Manila’s space program budget.
Beijing’s space budget is three times larger than Russia’s, at around $8.4-Billion in 2017.
With a meager $20-Million budget, PhilSA cannot expect to launch rockets or satellites anytime soon, as the costs for these launches are between $10-Million to $400-Million, depending on the vehicle used for launching.
In fact, private firm SpaceX has been able to deliver a very cost-competitive rocket at $57-Million, which even the China’s low-cost Long March rocket cannot compete on the basis of price.
This does not yet include the costs for the actual space activities to be undertaken after the launch, such as weather monitoring or military surveillance.
A weather satellite costs around $290-Million, while a spy satellite might cost an additional $100-Million.
For context, these sums represent a considerable number national infrastructure projects around the country, and without a refocusing on whether the Philippine space program truly matters to the nation, we can expect no space launches will be occurring in the country in the near term.
International cooperation
The way forward for the Philippine space program is to undertake bilateral and multilateral cooperation with international partners which can accelerate our own space research and development.
President Duterte’s commitment to an independent foreign policy should provide the diplomatic backdrop for our space agencies to engage with the international partners, especially as the President continuously balances Manila’s relations with the world’s main space powers: US, China and Russia.
Space is a both a scientific and political domain in which the President’s resolve towards multilateralism and cooperation can be shown in an international stage. In the initial stage, bilateral and multilateral framework agreements relating to space relations should now be entered into by government and its international partners.
As soon as these agreements enter into force, we can start sending our scientists and future astronauts abroad for training. Instead of immediately aiming to launch satellites on domestic soil, it can be explored whether the country can instead join an international space launch or even mission, with several governments and entities jointly funding these programs.
These international agreements can serve as leverage to develop our own space program, as many countries are already very advanced in terms of space research and technology.
Finally, a Filipino space champion is needed, who can serve as the face of the Philippine space program and relentless advocate for its funding and development. Government should realize that space is a platform to project our relevance to the international community. It should act fast. It should act now.