VIA PHILSA | Quezon City (27 July 2026) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the country’s upcoming sounding rocket launch during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27.
The test launch in Cagayan in 2027 will help advance the Philippines’ launch capabilities, develop Filipino expertise in rocket technologies, and prepare for future space launch activities.
“Cagayan is both geographically and economically primed to serve as our gateway to space and host the country’s first spaceport. A sounding rocket launch test is slated for next year,” said President Marcos.
The sounding rocket test launch shall be a demonstration flight of a liquid-fueled rocket from the Philippines, carrying a locally developed payload weighing up to 2kg to an altitude of at least 5 km. It is implemented by the Philippine Space Agency, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), in partnership with Ascend International Gateway, Inc., a Philippine corporation engaged in airport operations and management, and Perigee Aerospace, Inc., a South Korean company involved in developing high-performance launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and spacecraft components. This builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year during the Philippines–Korea Business Forum held on 04 March 2026.
“Yes, we are going to launch a rocket into space,” said President Marcos. This goal is enabled by the development of interim guidelines for rocket launches and activities that are set into motion by the launch in Cagayan in 2027 which are crucial steps towards the establishment and operation of a Philippine spaceport.
“As global launch rates continue to accelerate, existing spaceports cannot serve this increasing demand. With the Pacific Ocean to its east and its proximity to the equator, the Philippines is well positioned for safe and secure rocket launch and recovery operations, helping reduce costs, improve launch efficiency, and create opportunities for future launch services,” said Director General Gay Jane Perez. PhilSA is pursuing a Public-Private Partnership for the Development of a Philippine Spaceport, for the long-term sustainability of commercial rocket launches in the Philippines.
According to Space Foundation’s Global Space Economy Report, the first half of 2026 saw a record high of 153 orbital space launches and is expected to finish with its own record (to top 2025’s 329 launches), tracking closer to one launch per day. The accelerated pace will be facilitated by new launch vehicles and two new spaceports in Norway and the United Kingdom, the first spaceports on European soil. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration expects a surge in 2026 in U.S. commercial launches with as many as 225, against 82 through June 30. The launch boom has seen spaceports booked years in advance, with the current spaceports unable to serve existing, and growing, commercial demand.
“The Philippines possesses strong potential to become an important participant in the future global space economy,” said Ji Hye “Diana” Kwon, Country Director of Perigee Manila. “The establishment of Perigee Manila reflects our confidence in the country’s growing capabilities and our commitment to building long-term partnerships that create meaningful and sustainable outcomes for the Philippine space industry. Through technology transfer, talent development, and operational collaboration, we aim to contribute to the Philippines’ emergence as a regional space industry leader.”
“Our vision is for the Philippines to have a spaceport that serves as a gateway for safe, responsible, and sustainable space access for the region and the world. It will be a commercial-driven, government-enabled spaceport, with predictable timelines for launch licensing and authorization,” said Perez. “Apart from location, launch companies also take into consideration the approval process: whether it is clear, whether the approvals arrive on a schedule they can plan around, and whether the country meets its international obligations. That reliability is where the Philippines intends to compete, and it marks a shift in the country’s role in the regional space economy, from a user of space services to one that helps provide them,” she added.
“Space-based technologies are an essential foundation of modern ICT infrastructure. Sovereign launch capability will allow the Philippines to independently deploy communications satellites, Earth Observation systems, and navigation assets. This advances the country’s long-term vision of building a secure, resilient, and inclusive digital ecosystem, ensuring that the Philippines remains competitive in the digital age” said DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda.
“Through the development of the Philippines’ first commercial spaceport and our collaboration with global launch providers, we are building the infrastructure, partnerships, and operational capabilities necessary to position the country as a key participant in the future space economy,” said Ascend International Gateway President Ramon C. Garcia Jr. “The combination of CEZA’s enabling framework, the Philippines’ strategic location, and our ready-to-operate facilities creates a compelling platform for future launch activities, international aerospace partnerships, and commercial space investments across Asia.”
“For CEZA, this is about far more than establishing a spaceport. It is about ensuring that the Philippines is not left behind in one of the world’s fastest-growing frontiers. It is about creating opportunities in aerospace, advanced engineering, scientific research, education, innovation, and high-value investments that will benefit future generations of Filipinos. It is especially meaningful that this opportunity will take root in our Province of Cagayan,” said CEZA Administrator and CEO Secretary Katrina Ponce Enrile.
Under the Know-How Transfer and Training Program Phase 2, selected Filipino engineers will undergo advanced training and hands-on activities involving Perigee’s Blue Whale class sounding rocket platform. Beyond technology transfer, the program is designed to develop skilled Filipino aerospace professionals and strengthen the country’s growing pool of space talent and develop the country’s rocket engineering capability. The engagement with Perigee began under founding Director General Dr. Joel Marciano, Jr., through an MOU in October 2022, laying the groundwork for the company to explore the possibility of launching rockets in the Philippines alongside the vision for government, industry, and academe working together to leapfrog the country’s capabilities in space.
The training program is part of PhilSA’s broader efforts to cultivate a strong domestic ecosystem by supporting research and capacity-building in higher education institutions. “We are encouraged by rocketry activities of universities across the country, which PhilSA intends to support. These activities demonstrate the increasing momentum and interest in space launch vehicles in the academe and help develop the skills needed for the Philippines to participate in the growing global space industry. They play an important part in building the country’s future space workforce,” said Perez.
The partnership of PhilSA with Perigee Manila, Ascend International Gateway, CEZA and DICT supports a sustained effort to develop the Philippines’ capabilities in launch, testing, and aerospace innovation. The country’s strategic geography, growing technical workforce, supportive government policies, and emerging launch infrastructure create a strong foundation for the establishment of a Philippine spaceport and long-term contribution to the global space economy.
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