Space Science and Technology Proliferation in the Philippines through Nationwide University Partnerships

Abstract

This paper discusses the ongoing activities of the STEP-UP Project aimed at proliferating space science and technology in the Philippines. The STEP-UP Project is a research project funded by the Department of Science and Technology that undertakes the establishment of a university consortium on space science and technology applications. The consortium will serve as an avenue for nationwide and global collaboration for university-based space-related research activities. The institutions invited as founding members of the consortium are strategically located across the three major islands in the Philippines, serving as central hubs for cooperation and providing access to knowledge and facilities within their respective regions. Among the activities of the STEP-UP Project are the offering of a graduate track on nanosatellite engineering with hands-on development and testing of a 1U CubeSat that will be launched to an ISS orbit, the development and setup of amateur radio and satellite stations in partner universities, and the continuous enhancement and offering of undergraduate courses and trainings on space engineering. In proliferating space science and technology, the STEP-UP Project expands the human resources critical in sustaining the country's space activities.