PH targets 1st sounding rocket launch on Valentine's Day 2027

The Philippines is targeting February 14, 2027, for the launch of its first sounding rocket under the government's SIKLAB project, officials said Wednesday.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) said the countdown to the planned launch has begun, with about 193 days remaining before the target launch date.

“I think [the engineers] were targeting between February 12 to 15. So, in-average ko na lang, sabi ko, mas maganda Valentine's Day,” DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said.

(I think the engineers were targeting sometime between February 12 and 15. So I just averaged it out and said Valentine's Day would be better.)

EXPLAINER: How a sounding rocket launch fits into the Philippines' spaceport ambitions

PhilSA Director General Gay Jane Perez clarified that February 14, 2027 is a target launch window rather than a fixed date, noting that rocket launches depend on weather and technical conditions.

“As you know, with rocket launches, there are conditions na kailangan po natin ma-determine on the day itself, maybe a few days leading to it, that will really determine kung makakalipad tayo or hindi. Go or no go,” Perez said.

(As you know, rocket launches depend on certain conditions that can only be determined on the day of the launch, or maybe a few days leading to it. Those conditions will ultimately determine whether we proceed with the launch or not—it will be a go or no-go decision.)

“It's not really saying on the dot na lilipad po yung rocket dito, but it's more symbolic really. It represents our commitment, our initial target here to fly that rocket,” she added.

(It's not meant to say that the rocket will launch exactly on that date. It's more symbolic—it represents our commitment and our initial target of launching that rocket.)

The planned mission is not an orbital rocket launch that will send satellites into space. Instead, it is a test launch of a liquid-fueled sounding rocket, a type of rocket commonly used for scientific research, atmospheric studies, and testing new technologies before larger orbital missions.

Unlike orbital rockets that place satellites into space, sounding rockets travel to high altitudes to carry scientific instruments, conduct experiments, and collect data before returning to Earth.

According to PhilSA, the planned demonstration flight will carry a locally developed payload weighing up to two kilograms and reach an altitude of at least five kilometers. The mission is expected to validate rocket technologies, launch procedures, and safety protocols while helping develop Filipino expertise in rocket engineering.

The demonstration launch will take place in Cagayan, which officials said was selected because of its proximity to the equator, favorable geography, existing infrastructure, and large surrounding bodies of water that provide a safer debris field for rocket launches.

CEZA chief Katrina Ponce Enrile said the spaceport project could eventually create about 15,800 direct jobs, while contributing up to $3.6 billion in annual economic activity.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the rocket launch in his 2026 State of the Nation Address. He said that the rocket launching will be done in partnership with a South Korean aerospace company. —RF/VBL, GMA News