MANILA – Nagsimula na ang grupo ng mga Pilipinong scientist at engineer sa pagbuo “pinakamalaking” Pinoy-made satellite.
Kasalukuyang dini-develop ng mga dalubhasa mula sa University of the Philippines Diliman at DOST-Advance Science and Technology Institute ang Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite.
Ang pag-develop ng naturang satellite ay bahagi ng Advanced Satellite and Know-how Transfer for the Philippines (ASP) Project, na pinopondohan ng Department of Science and Technology.
Layunin ng proyekto na makabuo ng sarili at mas malaking Earth observation satellite ang Pilipinas, na may kakayahang mangalap ng mga larawan ng hanggang 100,000-km2 ng lupa kada araw.
Ang Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) ang mangangasiwa sa MULA kapag inilunsad na ito sa 2023.
Katuwang ng mga Pilipinong scientist sa pag-disenyo at pagbuo ng satellite ang Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), isang British company.
May bigat na 130-kg ang MULA satellite. May bitbit itong TrueColor camera, na may kakayahang makakuha ng 5m resolution images at wide swath wide na 120km.
Inaasahan ang benepisyo ng bagong satellite sa gitna ng mga kalamidad, mapping ng mga lupa, monitoring ng mga pananim at kagubatan.
““With its capability to capture higher resolution images, we will be able to better monitor terrestrial ecosystems, as well as our land and marine resources to ensure both agricultural productivity and environmental integrity. In addition, we will also be able to assess environmental conditions to be more proactive in disaster management and mitigation,” ani Dr. Gay Jane Perez, PhilSA Deputy Director General at ASP project leader.
Higit 30 Pinoy engineers daw ang sumailalim sa small satellite system design course ng SSTL, mula nang ilunsad ang Know-How Training and Transfer para sa TrueColor camera noong Disyembre.
“We can think of this spacecraft as a Filipino astronaut tasked to take images of our natural resources while monitoring aircraft and ship activity in our country at the same time. We aim to significantly increase the land area captured by this satellite compared to our previous ones, effectively increasing the information gathered from the produced images,” ani MULA project manager Engr. John Leur Labrador.
Noong Pebrero nang ilunsad ng Pilipinas ang ikaapat Pinoy-made satellite na Maya-2.
Umaasa si Science Sec. Fortunato de la Peña na bubuhos pa ang mga oportunidad at suporta para sa mga Pilipinong may kasanayan sa space science.
Ayon sa kalihim, isa ang space research and development sa mga matagal ng prayoridad ng DOST.
“More than the building of infrastructures and creation of micro-satellites, we have to train our young Filipino engineers. It is very crucial for us to build a competent pool of human resources who will train and inspire the next generation of Filipino scientific minds.”
Para naman kay PhilSA director general Dr. Joel Marciano Jr., mahalaga ang pag-aaral at pag-develop ng mga satellite dahil malaki ang implikasyon nito sa bansa.
“We use the satellites to generate images and other data, which we control and mobilize to support evidence-based policies for better governance, leading to productive communities and inclusive development.”
