The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) recognized the achievements of its two (2) AD ASTRA scholars, Mr. Fritz Rhaem M. Olivar and Mr. Angelo Ryan S. Velasco, during a welcome reception and knowledge sharing session on 09 December 2024 at its office in Quezon City. Mr. Olivar and Mr. Velasco completed their degrees on 10 September 2024 and 04 November 2024, respectively.
This celebration, which was held during the Agency’s monthly CosmicKapihan, brought the AD ASTRA scholar-graduates and PhilSA staff together to celebrate the scholars’ academic milestones, as well as to foster collaborations that can strengthen the human resource pool of space science professionals for the Philippine space ecosystem.
PhilSA Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr. emphasized the scholars’ role in creating opportunities for Filipinos by paying forward the opportunities they themselves received. He further highlighted how scholars can bridge the gap and open doors for others.
PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr. congratulated both AD ASTRA scholar-graduates and thanked them for their efforts during the welcome reception and knowledge sharing session.
Knowledge sharing session of AD ASTRA scholar-graduates
During the knowledge–sharing session, the scholars shared their academic journey, including their research on satellite data and environmental monitoring, as well as future aspirations to leverage their degrees for the country’s benefit.
Mr. Angelo Ryan S. Velasco, scholar-graduate of Master of Science in Satellite Data for Sustainable Development at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland shared his experience learning about mechanical and electrical engineering, rocketry, geographical information systems (GIS), and satellite data. He also had opportunities to join various societies and organizations, training and activities on spaceflight systems and spaceflight mechanics, to name a few. Mr. Velasco also shared his master’s thesis on utilizing satellite imagery and in-situ measurements for greenhouse gas emissions and vegetation relationship model prediction.
Mr. Fritz Rhaem M. Olivar, scholar-graduate of Master of Engineering in Environmental Systems Engineering studied Diwata-2’s High Precision Telescope (HPT) data through a time series comparison with PlanetScope’s imagery for his master’s thesis at the Yamaguchi University in Japan. Other activities during his graduate program included monitoring changes in land covers at the Akiyoshida quasi-national park in Japan, satellite monitoring of structures in Hashira Island, and educational tours to the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center and Hokkaido Spaceport. He also shared experience in using spectroradiometers, sunphotometers, and drone multispectral data from drones as supplemental tools for analysis.
Mr. Angelo Ryan S. Velasco, Mr. Fritz Rhaem M. Olivar, Space Education and Scholarships Division (SESD) Chief Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda, and Mr. Joseph V. Gutierrez, SESD Supervising Science Research Specialist (far right) during the knowledge-sharing session.
Since its inception in 2021, the AD ASTRA Scholarships Program has empowered Filipinos to pursue postgraduate studies in fields related to space science and technology applications (SSTA). To date, 16 local and foreign graduate scholars have received support to pursue masteral and doctorate degrees in local or international higher institutions— of which four (4) scholars have completed their degrees already, including Ms. Carla Mae N. Arellano, graduate of Copernicus Master in Digital Earth at the Paris-Lodron University Salzburg in Austria and Université Bretagne Sud in France on 06 July 2023, and Dr. Raynell A. Inojosa, graduate of Doctorate in Electronics Engineering from Batangas State University on 01 June 2023 with dissertation research completed at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan during the course of his doctorate study.
PhilSA invites all interested students who have completed their bachelor’s degree and are aiming to pursue advanced studies and research in fields related to SSTA– including space law, diplomacy, industry, and economics –in local or international higher educational institutions to apply for the AD ASTRA Scholarships Program.
Lean more here: https://philsa.gov.ph/news/philsa-ad-astra-scholarships-call-for-applications-2024/