Welcome back Maya-3 and Maya-4!
Maya-3 and Maya-4 are the first Philippine university-built cube satellites. They were designed and developed by scholars under the STAMINA4Space Program. This program was implemented by the University of the Philippines-Diliman. It was a collaboration with the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan.
The STAMINA4Space Program’s project was a success. They didn’t only launch the first local cube satellites, but they also brought them back.
Why are Maya-3 and Maya-4 so important?
Cube satellites carry miniature technology that helps people on Earth do a lot of things! They can measure gravity and weather, take pictures, and test technology for spacecraft.
Maya-3 and Maya-4 left to test if we could develop and launch our own local satellites. With that in mind, cost-efficient materials were used to build them. Their successful return means we could have our very own satellites in the future! That would allow for better TV reception and weather forecasts, among other things.
The Philippines is behind on technology as it is. But these cube satellites prove that we have what it takes to make our own technology.
What did these cube satellites do in the past 10 months?
Maya-3 and Maya-4 went off into space on August 29, 2021. That means it has been a year since their departure. They did more than take pictures. They were to test if these off-the-shelf materials were sturdy enough for space.
With the data that the researchers collected, we are a few steps closer to making our very own satellites.
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When it comes to space exploration, the Philippines is still a bit behind. We don’t exactly have a spaceport yet. But thanks to Maya-3 and Maya-4, things might improve very soon!
Feature Image Daniella Sison
