Posted by:
Philippine Space Agency
4 November 2026
Key officials from the Philippines and South Korea, together with PhilSA engineers, pose for a photo with the liquid-fueled sounding rocket following the completion of the training on small launch vehicles.
Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) engineers have completed their rocket training in South Korea, gaining hands-on experience in the assembly, integration, and testing of a liquid-fueled sounding rocket under SIKLAB: Building Industrial Space Launch Systems Project. This is part of PhilSA’s continuing efforts to develop rocket and launch-related capabilities and create opportunities to expand the Philippines’ participation in the space economy.
The completion ceremony was held on 20 October 2026 in Okcheon, South Korea—highlighting the Philippines’ progress in developing domestic launch capabilities. Following this, the sounding rocket and ground support equipment will be shipped to the Philippines for final assembly and tests in Cagayan, with the demonstration launch targeted for early 2027.
“Our goal goes beyond a single launch. We want this undertaking to open doors to succeeding launch activities, attract more commercial interest, and create opportunities for Filipino engineers, researchers, and enterprises to participate in the growing space economy. We want the knowledge gained here to translate into lasting capabilities and contribute to the development of our space industry,” PhilSA Acting Director General Perez said highlighting the significance of the whole program.
PhilSA Acting Director General Gay Jane P. Perez, Ph.D. delivers the closing remarks, congratulating the ten PhilSA engineers on completing the training in South Korea and underscoring the importance of continued learning and strong partnerships.
Ten PhilSA engineers underwent training at the Rocket Development Complex (RDC) of Perigee Aerospace Inc. and carried out the entire cycle of Perigee’s Blue Whale 0.1 (BW0.1) sounding rocket, from vehicle assembly through testing and operational preparation. PhilSA engineers assembled the sounding rocket themselves and performed the full range of system-level verification, including the Dry Run, the Wet Dress Rehearsal, and the Static Fire Test, equipping them with practical experience relevant to actual launch operations. The training builds on the first phase conducted in 2025, which focused on rocket theory and the assembly of individual rocket components.
PhilSA is set to launch its version of Blue Whale 0.1 (BW0.1), South Korea’s first privately developed liquid-propellant rocket developed by Perigee Aerospace and test-launched on Jeju Island in 2021.
The completion ceremony was attended by the following key officials: PhilSA Acting Director General Gay Jane P. Perez, Ph.D., University of the Philippines Vice President for Research and Innovation and PhilSA founding Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr., Ph.D., Daegu’s International Relations Ambassador and Former Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Sang-hwa Lee, Perigee Founder and CEO Dong Yoon Shin, Perigee Co-CEO Soo Yeon Shim, Perigee Manila Country Director Diana Kwon, Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) Director for International Cooperation Jeong-hun Kim, Perigee Design Team Lead Sang Woo Youk, and Ascend International Gateway President Ramon Garcia, Jr.
The demonstration launch builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2026 by PhilSA, Perigee Aerospace, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Ascend International Gateway, a Philippine corporation engaged in airport operations and management.
Through the SIKLAB Project, PhilSA aims to ignite the development of domestic launch capabilities, engage government, industry, and international partners, and uplift Filipino talent and enterprises by creating opportunities to further expand the country’s growing space sector. The knowledge and experience gained through this initiative will lay the groundwork for future launch activities and the development of the Philippine space industry.
About PhilSA
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is the central government agency of the Philippines that plans, develops, and promotes the national space program in line with the Philippine Space Policy. Created in August 2019 under Republic Act No. 11363, or the Philippine Space Act, PhilSA is an attached agency of the Office of the President of the Philippines for purposes of policy and program coordination and to ensure alignment in national policies and priorities.
About Perigee Aerospace
As one of Asia’s leading private space launch companies and the developer of Republic of Korea’s Blue Whale launch vehicle program, Perigee Aerospace is an end-to-end space mobility company, developing high-performance launch vehicles, propulsion systems and spacecraft components. Perigee provides sustainable access to Earth orbit and beyond; making space accessible, reliable, and efficient. Backed by expertise in liquid propulsion technologies, Perigee Aerospace, Inc. aims to opening innovative pathways for the future of space transportation. Through its Manila Representative Office, Perigee Aerospace supports its Philippine operations, institutional partnerships, and long-term engagement in the development of the country’s emerging space and launch ecosystem.
About CEZA
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) is a government owned and controlled corporation created under Republic Act No. 7922. Under the RA 7922 CEZA is mandated to develop and operate the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport into a Self-Sustaining Industrial, Commercial, Financial, Investment and Tourism Center and Freeport with suitable retirement/residential areas, in order to create employment opportunities in and around the Zone, and to effectively encourage and attract legitimate and productive foreign investments therein.
About Ascend International Gateway, Inc.
Ascend International Gateway, Inc. is a Philippine corporation engaged in the business of airport operations and management, and aviation industry economic zones and cluster development, that seeks to serve as a strategic link between aerospace and space industries through its global network of industry partners and the integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) products and services.
