Filipino astrophysics students' experiment successfully tested by NASA in space

An experiment designed by Filipino students was successfully conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the 2025 Asian Try Zero-G competition, a Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) press release said Friday.

The experiment, called the Double Gyroscope experiment, was developed by third-year astronomy students majoring in astrophysics from the Rizal Technological University —Christopher Tumamac, Ryan Andrew Doña, and Rose Ann Cezar.

Doña and Tumamac were allowed to present their experiment proposal before its live execution at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center in Ibaraki, Japan.

The observed results successfully aligned with the hypotheses outlined in their study, PhilSA said.

Their experiment was chosen, alongside 10 other experiments from Australia, Bangladesh, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, for the finals of the ATZG competition.

According to PhilSA, NASA Astronaut Christopher Williams conducted the 11 experiments on the ISS, while being livestreamed and viewed by the finalists at the JAXA.

Double Gyroscope “demonstrates a key principle used in spacecraft orientation, or how satellites and spacecraft control the direction they face in space,” the state’s space agency said.

The Philippines has been participating in the Asian Try Zero-G competition through the PhilSA, which serves as the local organizer as part of its education and outreach initiatives.

Since 2022, experiments from Filipino students have consistently been selected as ATZG finalists and carried out on the ISS by astronauts. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/LDF, GMA News