Philippines’ largest satellite boasts near real-time image generation for disaster response.
The Philippines is not a stranger to natural disasters. Meet and greet with tropical storms is a typical encounter but that doesn’t mean nothing is destroyed.
To improve the country’s current disaster response, the Marcos administration is pushing for a satellite-based upgrade. It’s called the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment or MULA satellite, the flagship project of the Philippine Space Agency.
Why use a new satellite? PhilSa engineers help map areas for disaster records and risks, giving response teams the information they need during disasters. However, generating maps can take days and lifesaving information must be provided instantly.
The MULA satellite will speed up the turnaround process and upgrade map generation, critical in relaying accurate details during disaster response. According to the MULA primer, the turnaround time is near real time as the satellite passes over the country. This speed will let government agencies learn what’s actually happening and take the appropriate actions.
Currently, the country gets satellite images for disaster response via Diwata-2 and NovaSAR-1, which are chartered. The charter cuts the turnaround process from 7 to 10 days in just a day.
The MULA satellite is expected to launch in the US between October 2025 and March 2026 using SpaceX Transporter-16.