As space becomes more congested, understanding what is happening in orbit and sharing that knowledge is critical to avoiding collisions and protecting satellites and their space-based services that people rely on every day. The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), in partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), convened the ASEAN Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management (STM) Seminar-Workshop on 12-13 March 2026 in Manila. 

“For ASEAN—a region whose economies, disaster response systems, aviation, shipping, and digital connectivity are deeply dependent on space-based services—the stakes are direct and concrete,” said ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn. 

“What protects satellites, investments, and ultimately the services that space provides to our economies and our societies, is when that data is shared in what we call space traffic coordination. Space traffic coordination allows data to be translated into action. When operators communicate with each other, they can maneuver safely out of each other’s way,” said UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini. 

The two-day workshop brought together representatives from ASEAN Member States, policymakers, technical experts, and commercial operators to advance a coordinated regional approach to space safety through data, transparency, and cooperation. Discussions focused on: 

Alongside the seminar-workshop, PhilSA also mounted an exhibit showcasing the Philippine government’s ongoing efforts to monitor rocket launches and the debris that fall within Philippine territory. 

“As global launch rates continue to accelerate, debris shed during staging events and the uncontrolled reentry of large rocket upper stages pose growing hazards—not only to other spacecraft, but to civil aviation and to populations on the ground,” said PhilSA Deputy Director General Dr. Marc Caesar R. Talampas when he delivered the Philippine’s position during the opening session. “The Philippines invites our ASEAN partners to consider broadening the scope of our regional SSA/STM framework to include the complete arc of a space object’s life—from launch through reentry—and to explore how our region can develop coordinated protocols and capabilities that protect both our space assets and our people on the ground.” 

Following the seminar-workshop, PhilSA and UNOOSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration across space law, the use of space-based information for disaster risk reduction and emergency response, capacity-building, public engagement, and more. Initiatives include a public lecture on space law, and the global release of PhilSA’s “Si Tala at ang Kanyang Lakbay Kalawakan!”, a children’s activity book on space law and international cooperation, which will now be adapted into all six official UN languages—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. 

Strengthening ASEAN cooperation in space 

The ASEAN seminar-workshop forms part of the Philippines’ continuing efforts to advance regional dialogue and collaboration in space governance. 

“As the Philippines chairs the ASEAN this year, we are also proposing an ASEAN Declaration on Space Cooperation. More than a formal statement, this declaration reflects a shared regional vision to strengthen collaboration in space science, technology, and innovation, including cooperation in SSA and STM. Through this, we hope to further advance ASEAN’s collective capacity to harness space technologies in support of disaster resilience, environmental sustainability, economic growth, and inclusive development across our region,” said PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez. 

ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn shares the same vision: “As ASEAN’s space capabilities mature, the ambition must be matched with stewardship. This is what makes the anticipated ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Space Cooperation the most consequential commitment in this domain this year. It will formalize our collective intent to pursue responsible, secure, and forward-looking space governance. I commend the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair, for driving this initiative forward.” 

Heads of Delegation. (L-R): Dr. Terence Jerome Daim (Malaysia); Dr. Soe Myint Maung (Myanmar); Yvette Chee (Singapore), Dr. Gay Jane Perez (Philippines), Dr. Sittiporn Channumsin (Thailand); Nam Dork (Cambodia); Dr. Abdul Rachman (Indonesia).

Session on Space Situational Awareness: Observation, Tracking, and Data Management. (L-R): GISTDA Space Technology Research Center Director Dr. Sittiporn Channumsin; UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini; PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez; Digantara Vice President for Business and Strategy Shreyas Mirji; GMV Flight Dynamics Project Manager Maria Del Mar Conforto Lopez; NOAA Office of Space Commerce Director for International SSA Engagement Dr. Mariel Borowitz; PhilSA Deputy Director General Marc Caesar R. Talampas; (on screen) Nanyang Technological University Professor Dr. Erik Lansard.

 

Session on Space Traffic Management: Operational Management, Mitigation, and Safety. (L-R) UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini; PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez; ABS Vice President for Satellite and Network Operations Alfred Donald Perez; Asia Satellite Vice President for Engineering Fred Ho; Cabinet Office of Japan Deputy Director for National Space Policy Yonekura Hideaki; PhilSA Space Mission Control Operations Division Chief Dr. Izrael Zenar Bautista; GISTDA Space Technology Research Center Director Dr. Sittiporn Channumsin.

 

Session on Space Weather. (L-R) PhilSA Interdisciplinary Space Missions Development Division Supervising Science Research Specialist Wynn Dunn Gil D. Improso; Kayhan Space Senior Astrodynamics Engineer Vishal Ray; PhilSA Interdisciplinary Space Missions Development Division Chief Dr. Ernest P. Macalalad; (not in photo) UK Space Agency and ESA Space Safety Programme Manager Dr. Harneet Kaur Sangha.

Session on SSA/STM Policy. (L-R) PhilSA Space Policy and International Cooperation Bureau Director Atty. Noelle Riza D. Castillo; MEASAT Principal Technologist for Orbital Operations Kuan Chee Shung; Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation representative Yasunobu Maeno; PhilSA Space Policy and Legal Affairs Division Chief Atty. Giovani Concepcion; UNOOSA Legal and Programme Officer for Space Law Rosanna Hoffmann.

PhilSA-UNOOSA MOU Signing. (L-R) PhilSA Space Policy and International Cooperation Bureau Director Noelle Riza Castillo; PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Dr. Gay Jane Perez; UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini; and UNOOSA Legal and Programme Officer for Space Law Rosanna Hoffmann.

“Tala and her Journey through Space!”, PhilSA’s children’s activity book on outer space treaties, to be translated to the UN official languages. Photo courtesy of ASEAN National Organizing Council (NOC)

“Space Law Today: Treaties, Obligations, and Legal Challenges in the Contemporary International Order” on 11 March 2026 at the Atencio-Libunao Hall in UP Diliman. (L-R) University of the Philippines Law Center Institute of International Legal Studies (IILS) Director Rommel C. Casis; PhilSA Space Policy Institute of International Legal Studies and International Cooperation Bureau (SPICB) Director Noelle Riza D. Castillo; UP College of Law Dean Gwen Grecia-De Vera; PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Dr. Gay Jane Perez; Rosanna Hoffmann, UNOOSA Legal and Programme Officer for Space Law; UP System Vice President for Research and Innovation Joel Joseph Marciano, Ph.D.