The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) physically took part in the 29th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-29) from 18 to 22 September 2023 at the BRIN Headquarters, BJ Habibie Building in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Hosted by the Republic of Indonesia, through its National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and in collaboration with the Government of Japan through the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the annual space forum welcomed space agencies, governmental bodies, private companies, industry sectors, international and regional organizations, academia, and individuals from different countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific.
As one of the largest and premier space-related conferences in the Asia-Pacific, APRSAF promotes awareness of space activities of different countries in the region and provides opportunities for knowledge sharing, expert interaction, and cooperation among current and emerging space actors. This year’s theme, “Accelerating Space Economies through Regional Partnership,” highlights the contribution of space-based technologies and space-derived products and services in fostering economic growth and the important role of regional cooperation in strengthening domestic value chain capabilities.
PhilSA participated in various initiative meetings, working groups, plenary sessions, and bilateral meetings during the conference.
During the APRSAF-29 plenary session, the APRSAF Executive Committee (ExCom) invited all participants to the next edition of the conference, APRSAF-30, which will be held in Perth, Australia in 2024. The ExCom also announced the successful bid of the Philippines as host for the 31st edition of the conference in 2025 and urged all participants to extend their support to PhilSA in staging a successful conference. As part of the announcement, a video presentation was prepared by PhilSA which was shown during the plenary session.
With the bid of PhilSA to host the 31st annual session of the APRSAF in 2025 being successful, this will be the second time the Philippines will be hosting APRSAF—the first time in 2016 through the efforts of Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD). The 2025 edition will be the first time that PhilSA, as the national space agency, will be hosting the annual regional conference.
Participation of PhilSA in Working Groups
The APRSAF was organized into five working group meetings, which were held from 19-20 September 2023, namely: Space Education for All Working Group (SE4AWG), which tackles space education activities, training programs, exchange of information and best practices, and opportunities for capacity-building and collaborations among participants; Space Policy and Law Working Group (SPLWG), which facilitated discussions on current and emerging space policies and frameworks in different countries, along with common regional issues in space; Satellite Applications for Societal Benefit Working Group (SAWG), which promoted the utilization of Earth observation, positioning and navigation satellites and space infrastructure to support climate change studies and adaptation, disaster risk reduction and management, and environmental sustainability; Enhancement of Space Capability Working Group (SCWG), which covered new trends in space technology and engineering management in developing spacecraft and space operation systems; and the Space Frontier Working Group (SFWG), which delved into initiatives aimed at space exploration and space environment utilization.
Participation of PhilSA in Plenary Sessions
Participation of PhilSA in Initiatives Meetings
Participation of PhilSA in Bilateral Meetings