Perpetual Help, 2 other ASEAN universities to launch nanosatellite in 2023

The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) has partnered with two educational institutions in Malaysia and Thailand in a bid to launch into space a nanosatellite by 2023.

UPHSD said it was joined by the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia and the King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) in crafting a nanosatellite that will to collect data on Earth imaging, marine traffic, and greenhouse gases.

The project has been dubbed as the ASEANSAT1 nanosatellite.

“The objective of the project is to launch a nanosatellite in the first quarter of 2023 to the International Space Station (ISS), after which the satellite will go into a low earth orbit (LEO) to gather data," the school said in a statement.

It is also set to test equipment such commercial off-the-shelf global positioning system (COTS GPS) and the Anisotropic Magneto Resistance Magnetometer (AMR-MM).

UPHSD President Dr. Anthony Jose M. Tamayo during the project's kick-off ceremony on March 11 described it project as a “milestone” not only for the university but for the country and the region.

“Certainly, this project is a milestone not only for the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA but for the development of science and technology in the country and in the ASEAN region,” he said.

Project heads Loren Ilagan of UPHSD and Dr. Mohamad Hazaimy Jusoh of the UiTM, at the same event, underscored the importance of satellites in the modern-day living.

“Some of us might not be aware of the importance of satellites in our lives. The usual everyday things we rely on in our day-to-day existence have become increasingly dependent on space technology like satellite TV, GPS systems used by smartphones, instruments and equipment for military operations, air traffic and the weather. Without space technology like satellites, the world would be very different from what it is today,” Ilagan said.

Jusoh said stressed the immense benefits of the project including its possible impact on the social and economic life of a nation. He then urged other countries in the region to hasten their own space technology programs.

“Many corporations and countries are working to put their own satellites in space. If we don’t get involved in a space project to put our own object in space, we are not sure if there will be any space for us in space in the next five years,” he said. —NB, GMA News