MANILA - The Philippine Space Agency said Wednesday it was building its knowledge in space technology and forging collaboration to spur potential application in local industries.

The agency is eyeing to expand its current workforce to 200 from 50 to set-up shop and to collaborate with other sectors such as businesses for local opportunities using space technology, Philippine Space Agency Director general Joel Marciano Jr. told ANC.

Building electronics, sensors, other computer systems, AI and other related systems are "capabilities that can be at the core of products and services in local industries," he said.

"It is an amazing and exciting time. Building these space technologies like satellites, they’re kind of spacecraft, leads to know-how transfer. That’s our goal. That we can use to spur local space industry development," Marciano said.

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Although dwarfed by other far advanced behemoths such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States and the European Space Agency (ESA), the Philippine Space Agency has already built satellite systems such as the Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, among others, which are currently operating in space, he said.

Globally, the engagement of private firms could make the space industry more accessible, Marciano said.

British billionaire and Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson on Sunday beat rivals Jeff Bezos of Blue Origin and SpaceX's Elon Musk
after flying to the edge of space ahead of the competition.

"It’s exciting stuff and it’s leading perhaps to more democratization and increasing access to outer space. So that’s what we’re seeing" Marciano said.

Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and SpaceX have all expressed interest in offering crewed passenger commercial space flight.

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