VIA GRAPHIC PLUS | Quezon City (October 2, 2026) — An all-Filipino crew successfully completed the first Analog Habitat Waypoint (ANAHAW) mission of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on 26 September 2026. It was conducted in partnership with the Batangas State University (BatStateU) – The National Engineering University and served as a benchmarking study for university-based analog missions.
Analog missions simulate key aspects of spaceflight and lunar or Martian habitats on Earth, allowing researchers and crew members to test systems, refine procedures, study crew dynamics, and strengthen operational readiness in conditions that replicate some of the actual challenges in space missions.
The 24-hour inaugural mission was held in a simulated lunar habitat environment at BatStateU Alangilan Campus and recreated actual challenges of isolation, limited resources, communication delays, and other situations that happen in space missions.
The six-member crew brought together professionals from various fields, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of space. Mission Commander Suguru Vaughn Hernandez, Flight Engineer Nathaniel Macato, Mission Scientists Bianca Angeline Alcantara and Yzhae Marrione Villaruel, Communications Officer Jeremaine Ko, and Health and Nutrition Specialist Mary Audrey Amorao completed the mission inside the simulated habitat. Supporting them were the Mission Control Center’s Flight Director Leemar Bonite, Capsule Communicator Cindy Lou Macahilos, and Science Technical Officers: Angelo Manigo, Catherine Raisa Mandigma, and Erica Mae Santos.
During the mission, the crew conducted varied scientific experiments and technical demonstrations on human-rover collaboration, crew welfare mentoring system, crew dynamics during an emergency, surface microbial sampling, and ground-based germination screening of Philippine food crops.
Prior to the mission, all participants completed the six-part learning series on analog missions earlier this year. This provided key concepts on analog missions and operations that culminated with an assessment and group pitch, demonstrating technical learnings and teamwork.
Kristine Atienza, the first Filipino analog astronaut, provided technical inputs and supported the development of the mission concept with PhilSA, led the training sessions, and mentored the crew.
For the Philippines, the ANAHAW mission marks an important step in building the country’s capability to design, implement, and assess analog missions for research and training. The first mission provided insights on experimentation, analog mission operations, and even building a habitat that will help establish a framework for future analog missions and support the development of local expertise in human spaceflight support systems.
Following the successful run, the program is targeted to be replicated in succeeding years in more Philippine universities, encouraging academic institutions to be part of the growing Philippine space ecosystem by sharing expertise, knowledge, and resources to support space science and technology initiatives.
“Over time, we hope to build the Philippines into a regional hub for analog missions, a place where people can come together to train, conduct research, and cultivate the knowledge and skills needed for human spaceflight. What begins here as a scientific experiment can grow into something larger: a community, a national capability, and new opportunities for the Philippine space sector,” said PhilSA Acting Director General Gay Jane Perez.
ANAHAW is part of a larger pathway toward Filipino human spaceflight capability — from analog missions and space science experiments to astronaut selection, and eventually, the training needed for actual spaceflight.
“Our Filipino analog astronauts are already testing here on Earth what it takes to live and work beyond it. I look forward to the day when a Filipino takes that science all the way to space,” said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., after he met Filipino analog astronauts and PhilSA on 24 September 2026 to discuss the country’s initiatives on analog missions, human spaceflight preparations, and efforts to develop Filipino capabilities for future space exploration.
Filipino analog astronauts Kristine Jane Atienza, Dr. Marvic Jon Alcantara, Florence Pauline Basubas, and Dr. Mark Angelo Purio have participated in international analog missions, including the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (Hi-SEAS) program, the LunAres Analog Mission in Poland, Monsaraz Mars Analog Mission in Portugal, and the ADAMA Analogue Astronaut Mission in Australia. Through these experiences, they have gained insights into crew operations, habitat systems, scientific research, and the challenges associated with long-duration missions in isolated environments. They also continuously advocate space initiatives in the Philippines through mentorship and public outreach efforts.
“That journey continues with our first all-Filipino analog mission team. PhilSA intends to build on this by bringing together more universities, researchers, students, and professionals to conduct analog missions, develop experiments, test technologies, and learn from one another,” said DG Perez.
Through ANAHAW and related initiatives on human spaceflight support systems development, PhilSA continues to provide Filipinos with opportunities to learn, participate, and contribute to the country’s growing space capabilities.
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 mission of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on 26 September 2026. It was conducted in partnership with the Batangas State University (BatStateU) – The National Engineering University and served as a benchmarking study for university-based analog missions.){kind=link}