The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has successfully completed the first phase of the Know-How Transfer and Training Program on Small Launch Vehicle in partnership with Perigee Aerospace, a Korean space mobility company—marking a key step toward developing the Philippines’ indigenous launch capability.
The multi-stage training program began with a two-day technical workshop in Quezon City in October 2025, followed by an intensive three-week hands-on sounding rocket training in South Korea from October to November 2025. The program equipped selected PhilSA engineers with foundational and applied knowledge in launch vehicle systems through classroom instruction on basic rocket theory and practical experience in rocket subsystem assembly.
The training utilized Perigee’s Blue Whale 0.1 (BW0.1) sounding rocket platform—South Korea’s first privately developed liquid-propellant rocket—which has previously demonstrated successful test flights from Jeju Island. Originally launched by Perigee in 2021, the BW0.1 has since been used in the company’s educational programs for domestic and international institutions. Through this platform, PhilSA engineers gained exposure to actual launch vehicle development processes, from theoretical design considerations to assembly and testing.
PhilSA engineers during one of their classroom instructions on basic rocket theory
Drawing from its experience in Korea’s small launch vehicle development, Perigee shared practical insights from test launches, regulatory processes, and space ecosystem development. These contribute to the Philippines’ preparedness for potential local launch operations in the future.
This initiative forms part of PhilSA’s broader efforts to strengthen the national space workforce and build sovereign technical capabilities through international cooperation. Beyond delivering concrete technical outputs, the program lays the groundwork for future activities, including possible localized assembly, testing, and launch operations in the Philippines.
The training is an outcome of the long-standing cooperation between PhilSA and Perigee, which began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2022 in the Philippines. Since then, both institutions have engaged in collaborative and exploratory activities related to small launch vehicle missions and reusable rocket technologies.
PhilSA and Perigee will continue to generate technical and operational insights relevant to future spaceport development, industrial partnerships, and regional cooperation. The initiative represents the Philippines’ first structured training engagement focused on launch vehicle technology—further supporting the country’s transition from a space service user to a more active contributor in the regional space sector.
PhilSA advanced the Philippines’ indigenous launch capability by training its engineers through a hands-on small launch vehicle program with Perigee Aerospace.
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
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 aims to opening innovative pathways for the future of space transportation.