The Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) will build a ground receiving station featuring the largest tracking antenna in the Philippines, in Davao City.
According to a recent report, the Department inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for the establishment of a Remote Multi-Mission Antenna System facility in the antenna bay compound of the Davao International Airport.
Characteristics and Capabilities
This ground receiving station is reportedly the second that the Philippine Earth Data Resource and Observation (PEDRO) Centre established.
This one will have a larger moving antenna as compared to the first one, which is located at the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) facility at the University of the Philippines, Diliman campus.
Equipped with a 7.3 – metre diameter, the station will be capable of receiving higher-frequency data. It will also have a 40-foot container van that will serve as the control room at the station.
According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the ground facility is designed to communicate with Earth observation satellites deployed in space.
It will be receiving, processing, exploiting and distributing space-borne imagery and derive information from remote-sensing satellites for various applications.
These applications would include disaster mitigation, natural-resource management, environmental monitoring, pollution control, energy exploration, intelligence and emergency response management.
Who are involved?
The project is part of a multi-agency research and development effort of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, UP Diliman, DOST-ASTI, and two Japanese academic institutions – Tohoku University and Hokkaido University.
This effort is under the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement Program, which succeeded Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Micro-satellite Program.
The country’s Diwata-2 microsatellite, which was launched into space from Japan, is also a part of the program. The microsatellite is expected to feed data to PEDRO.
Earlier reports
OpenGov Asia earlier reported on the Second Philippine microsatellite launched into space.
The report detailed on Diwata-2, the more technologically advanced sibling of the ground-breaking Diwata-1 microsatellite, which orbits at a higher altitude of 620 kilometres.
It features deployable solar panels for increased power generation output and an enhanced resolution camera (ERC).
All these efforts are pointing towards the goal of establishing the Philippine Space Agency. OpenGov Asia recently reported that the establishment of the Philippine Space Agency will be beneficial for it will contribute to the country’s economy.
The setting up of the Agency will contribute to the country’s economy in a combination of the upstream and downstream market.
The thrust of the upstream market is to be able to provide the country with the technology such as the fabrication of space components.
For the downstream part, there will be a change in the Filipino talent landscape and opportunities because of the amount of data satellites this can produce for the country.
Meanwhile, OpenGov Asia reported on the recent unanimous House approval of the Philippine Space Development Bill.
The Bill received 207 affirmative votes and without abstention. According to the Bill, it is the State policy to support the development of science and technology that shall foster nationalism and patriotism.