With the First Filipino-made microsatellite now orbiting in space, the real work begins.
Officially named Philippine Earth Observation Microsatellite, Diwata-1 had been housed at the International Space Station for a month before it was released in space on Wednesday, Apr 27 at 7pm (Manila time) from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) “Kibo, ” Inquirer reports.
During the orbiter’s 20-month journey in space, it is expected to collect data that will help the country’s agricultural sector and the government’s disaster response efforts.
“You can’t remove the nervousness we feel because it took us a year [to build Diwata-1]. We tried… to ensure that everything will work properly. But it’s only at this point that we’ll know if the entire system works,” said Carlos Primo David, executive director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development to Inquirer.
Building the microsatellite was not without drama. A Filipino engineer took to social media to share how they were undervalued and mistreated while they were working on the project.
Even now that Diwata-1 is already in space, things can still get unpredictable.
If the microsatellite’s positioning doesn’t work, it will fail to capture the images of the desired targets. However, David said that the engineers who worked on the project prepared for such scenarios.
We’re crossing our fingers. Let’s hope for the best for this Filipino first.
