PhilSA engineers work on the pressure regulation bay of a liquid-fueled sounding rocket.
The Philippines is preparing to launch its first liquid-fueled sounding rocket from Philippine soil in 2027, marking a step forward in the country’s domestic space and launch capabilities.
A 10-member team from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is undergoing training from August to October 2026 with South Korean space mobility company Perigee Aerospace, Inc. under the SIKLAB: Building Industrial Space Launch Systems Project.
The training covers rocket assembly, systems integration, testing, launch operations, safety procedures, and other activities involved in the operational cycle of a liquid-fueled launch vehicle. It builds on an earlier training program conducted in 2025.
For the planned test launch in Lal-lo, Cagayan, the team is working with Perigee’s Blue Whale 0.1 (BW0.1), a liquid-propellant sounding rocket platform. The rocket will carry a locally developed payload weighing about two kilograms to an altitude of at least five kilometers.
The payload is designed to demonstrate technology for detecting and monitoring radio signals from ground-based sources. It will measure and record signal strengths, including those from 4G LTE cell towers, potentially supporting future efforts to identify areas with weak cellular coverage.
PhilSA said the launch will provide an opportunity to test the payload in an actual flight environment while advancing its technology readiness level.
The agency is also working with the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and local stakeholders on site preparations and a safety exclusion zone. The rocket built during the training will be shipped to the Philippines for further testing before the planned 2027 launch.
According to PhilSA Acting Director General Gay Jane P. Perez, developing domestic launch capabilities could provide greater flexibility and independence in deploying satellites and support sectors such as telecommunications, agriculture, and national security.
PhilSA engineers work on the engine bay of a liquid-fueled sounding rocket during hands-on training with Perigee Aerospace.
Beyond the test flight, SIKLAB is intended to build Filipino expertise in rocket systems and launch operations while supporting the development of a broader Philippine space ecosystem involving government, industry, international partners, scientists, engineers, and other space-sector professionals.
PhilSA engineers assemble a liquid-fueled sounding rocket in preparation for its planned test launch in 2027.
