The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), in collaboration with the Rizal Technological University (RTU), took part in this year’s National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebrations by holding the in-person session “Find Your Place in Space: PhilSA Scholarship Opportunities for Aspiring Space Scientists and Engineers.”

Students from various schools and universities learned about scholarship opportunities available in the field of space science and allied fields.

PhilSA Spacecraft Payload and Communications Systems Development Division Supervising Science Research Specialist Dr. Adrian Salces presents the PhilSA ACCESS Nanosat Project and Nanosat Mission Idea Contest.

The event, held on 23 November 2022 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City, covered the following topics:

– The PhilSA AD ASTRA (Advanced Degrees for Accelerating STRAtegic Space R&D and Applications) Scholarship Program, which aims to enable outstanding Filipino students to pursue local or international postgraduate studies in line with the Key Development Areas of PhilSA;
– The PhilSA ACCESS (Advancing Core Competencies and Expertise in Space Studies) Nanosatellite Project, which aims to provide experience to those interested in building and operating a satellite as a space/satellite engineer;
– The Nanosatellite Mission Idea Contest, which aims to provide university teams a chance to propose mission ideas for the country’s next nanosatellite and promote the expansion of nanosatellite research and development activities in the academe;
– The Rizal Technological University’s Astronomy program and scholarships, along with the story of how they became the first Center of Astronomy Research and Development in the Philippines; and
– The MULA Mission Patch Contest.

The talk was facilitated by Senior Science Research Specialist Mr. Marco Melgar of the PhilSA Space Education and Scholarships Division, Supervising Science Research Specialist Dr. Adrian Salces of the PhilSA Spacecraft Payload and Communications Systems Development Division, and Head of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences Ms. Rose Ann Bautista of the Rizal Technological University.

(L-R) Mr. Marco Melgar, Ms. Rose Anne Bautista, and Dr. Adrian Salces answer questions from the audience.

The audience also had the chance to meet several members of the ACCESS NanoSat team (L-R: Project Manager John Michael Rey Zamora, Co-Project Manager & Missions Lead Ariel Nopre, Jr., Nadine Macalalad, Dave Emmanuel Zuniga, Ella Louise Tengco, and Jonard Jairo P. Reyes).

PhilSA is the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity of the Executive Branch of the government that plans, develops, and promotes the national space program. Leveraging on the capabilities and human resources developed, PhilSA aims to create a critical mass of Space Science and Technology Application researchers that will build and sustain a robust Philippine space ecosystem that adds and creates value in space for and from Filipinos and for the world.

The National Science and Technology Week is held annually by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and highlights the contributions made by science and technology to the development of the country. This year’s NSTW celebration followed the theme, “Agham at Teknolohiya: Kabalikat sa Maunlad at Matatag na Kinabukasan,” and was held from 23 November to 27 November 2022.

Learn more about this year’s celebration of the NSTW through their official website: http://nstw.dost.gov.ph/

For inquiries on PhilSA scholarships, contact scholarships@philsa.gov.ph