Philippines’ First University-Built Satellites have just been Launched into Space

International Space Station (ISS)

Two cube satellites that were made by Filipino scholars have just been launched into space on August 29, 2021, bound for the International Space Station (ISS).

The two cubesats designed by students (Photo by Stamina4space)

The two cubesats, called Maya-3 and Maya-4, were the Philippines’ first university-built satellites designed by students under the STAMINA4Space Program.

Project 3 is a Space Science and Technology Proliferation through University Partnerships (STeP-UP), is a graduate program with a nano-satellite engineering track offered by the University of the Philippines-Diliman Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute.

The students are the following: Christy Raterta, Marielle Magbanua-Gregorio, Gladys Bajaro, Lorilyn Daquioag, Renzo Wee, Bryan Custodio, Judiel Reyes, and Derick Canceran. (Photo by Stamina4space)

Maya-3 and Maya-4 left aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the SpaceX Commercial Resupply Mission, which aimed to transport supplies and equipment to the ISS.

According to NASA, SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon landed on the ISS on August 30 (August 31, Manila time).

Once deployed, the cubesats’ missions will include acquiring ground data, magnetic field measurement in space, image, and video capture, and many more.

“The success of Maya-3 and Maya-4 will prove that CubeSats can be successfully built locally,” said STeP-UP Project Leader, Professor Paul Jason Co.

“The knowledge and experience gained from this endeavor can and will be shared to any other institutions through collaboration and cooperation.”

According to wheninmanila.com the STeP-UP program is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), DOST-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), Kyushu Institute of Technology, and the Philippine Space Agency.

Quite an achievement for these young Filipino scientists!