APRSAF-23

Message from co-chairs of Space Applications Working Group (SAWG)

• 

  Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr.
  Director,
  Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology,
  DOST-PHIVOLCS

• 

  Dr. Shinichi Sobue
  Senior Engineer,
  Space Technology Directorate I,
  JAXA

At the Space Applications Working Group (SAWG) meeting in Manila, the Philippines, the progress of the SAWG and its key initiatives will be shared. Time will also be dedicated to identifying future actions to further the SAWG’s goal of sharing societal benefits with citizens of the Asia-Pacific region through the synergistic application of key space technologies. Fostering enhanced cooperation with local operational agencies, development aid agencies, and international and regional organizations is critical, and the SAWG welcomes the participation of these entities.

Existing SAWG initiatives — Sentinel Asia and Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) — will outline their plans to better serve end users. Sentinel Asia, which celebrates its 10th anniversary at this year’s meeting, will share a key success story from its first decade of operation — the implementation of a landslide early warning system for the Philippines that uses space technology.

Based on recommendations from APRSAF-21, a potential new initiative on the synergistic application of geostationary orbit (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites is being explored. The 2nd Japan-Australia GEO-LEO Applications Workshop (1–2 September 2016; Tokyo, Japan) will discuss the proposed initiative and will also share progress on bilateral efforts in the land, ocean and atmosphere domains. The results will be reported in Manila.

In addition, the SAWG will co-host an inter-working group session, a joint session with the multi-GNSS community, and an international aid and regional organization cooperation session.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Manila to discuss the latest space applications supporting a safe and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.

Message from co-chairs of Space Technology Working Group (STWG)

• 

  Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr.
  Acting Director,
  Advanced Science and Technology Institute,
  DOST-ASTI

• 

  Dr. Takanori Iwata
  Director,
  Chief Engineer Office,
  JAXA

The Space Technology Working Group (STWG) aims to support space technology development in the Asia-Pacific region through active information exchange among experts from space agencies, academic institutions, and private sectors in the region. The group was launched at APRSAF-21 with the aim of meeting the strong interests in space technology development as demonstrated by participants over the previous years. This working group has evolved into the ideal venue for agencies, universities, and industries to exchange information, seek cooperation, and find capacity building opportunities.

The STWG adopted two recommendations from APRSAF-22 held in Bali. First, to promote and strengthen cooperation among actors interested in space technology. Second, to encourage information exchange on capacity building and training. In response to these recommendations, we invite representatives from agencies, universities, and industries to further enhance the discussion this year. By encouraging information exchange with respect to technology and innovation, the STWG is enabling countries in the Asia-Pacific region to expand their capacities. Participants are expected to engage in discussions and/or give presentations on the following topics:

- Small satellites
- Launch and experiment opportunities
- Test facilities
- Space technology for the Asia-Pacific region
- Engineering management
- Capacity building

The co-chairs of the STWG welcome the active participation of experts in various fields. We aim to assist inspiration that leads to revolutionary technologies through collaborative partnerships and expand the boundaries of the space activities. Fruitful discussions and cross-cutting pioneers await you in Manila.

Message from co-chairs of Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG)

• 

  Dr. Rogel Mari D. Sese
  Focal Person,
  Philippine Space Science Education Program,
  DOST

• 

  Mr. Fumiaki Tanigaki
  Associate Senior Engineer,
  Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Utilization Center,
  Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate,
  JAXA

The Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG) aims to encourage countries in the Asia-Pacific region to utilize the Japanese Experiment Module, also known as “Kibo” (which means “hope” in Japanese), currently onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Kibo Module is a human space facility that provides unique research capabilities in a microgravity environment. Various scientific and engineering research activities are conducted on Kibo to take advantage of the exceptional environment offered in the fields of life science, medical science, materials science, space environment monitoring, Earth observation, and demonstrations of advanced technologies.

One key capability of the Kibo module is small-satellite deployment using the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD), which started in 2012. In April 2016, DIWATA-1, the first Philippine 50 kg-class satellite, was successfully deployed from Kibo, setting the trend of increasing demand from Asia-Pacific nations for microsatellite deployment. As of July 2016, 139 satellites have been deployed from Kibo, and the deployment system has been attracting global attention as a new space transportation system for satellites.

The Kibo module includes an exposed facility designed for various research projects including the development and testing of new materials. The Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) enables experiments to be conducted with a short preparation time using lightweight experiment samples that are well suited for satellite design. Its unique and unparalleled capability onboard the ISS is currently gaining wide attention from Asia-Pacific nations.

The APRSAF-23 will feature the first special joint session of the SEUWG and the STWG to encourage activities in the development, launch, deployment, and applications of microsatellites, including the use of Kibo Exposed Facilities (J-SSOD and ExHAM). For SEUWG, presentations on current activities, interesting utilization ideas/proposals, and discussion are welcome for submission to the working group. Through discussion, the SEUWG aims to contribute to building cooperative projects for Kibo utilization and to provide a variety of benefits for the Asia-Pacific region. We welcome the participation of many countries from the region and look forward to sharing and discussing the future of space environment utilization in the Asia-Pacific region.

Message from co-chairs of Space Education Working Group (SEWG)

• 

  Dr. Josette T. Biyo
  Director,
  Science Education Institute,
  DOST-SEI

• 

  Mr. Nozomu Sakuraba
  Director,
  Space Education Center,
  JAXA

The fascinating relationship among space, educators and all our students continues to evolve as we open a new window to the universe. You may ask, how do we, The Space Education Working Group (SEWG), continue to fuel this incredible relationship? The answer lies in our strong commitment to continued improvement. We believe attractive educational materials about space can spark intellectual flames in the hearts and minds of children not only regarding space and technology, but also about many other aspects of human activities. Furthermore, we sincerely believe that educators play a prominent role in facilitating this process. SEWG performs its activities with the aim of effectively providing opportunities and materials to help assist students’ learning in the Asia-Pacific region, for example, Educator’s Workshops, Poster Contests and Water Rocket Events.

At its annual meeting, SEWG embraces the opportunity during APRSAF to share the educational programs and materials of participating countries/organizations and for them to learn from each other. SWEG strongly encourages self-initiated educational programs in host countries of APRSAF. It is in this context that the CanSat Competition will be held in the Philippines, the host country of APRSAF-23 this year, organized by DOST. Additionally, SEWG is always excited to collaborate with other Working Groups, in order to further utilize the results of space activities and its mission.

We truly look forward to your participation in SEWG activities at APRSAF-23 to share information and openly discuss space education in order to continue to fascinate and spark the intellectual flames in the hearts and minds of children.