The Philippines is going to space. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in his 2026 State of the Nation Address that the country will launch its first liquid-fueled sounding rocket from Cagayan in 2027, with a full spaceport to follow.
Here is everything we know about the launch, the partners behind it, and why the Philippines wants its own spaceport.
The 2027 rocket launch
The test launch is set for early 2027 at Cagayan North International Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan, according to the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).
It will be a demonstration flight of a liquid-fueled sounding rocket carrying a locally developed payload of up to 2 kilograms to an altitude of at least 5 kilometers.
Sounding rockets are small research vehicles used to study atmospheric conditions during short flights toward the edge of space. They are not orbital rockets, which need much higher speeds and altitudes, but they are the essential first step in building launch capability.
“Cagayan is both geographically and economically primed to serve as our gateway to space and host the country’s first spaceport,” Marcos said in his SONA.
Who is behind it
The launch is implemented by PhilSA, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).
They are partnered with two private firms: Ascend International Gateway, Inc., a Philippine company involved in airport operations, and Perigee Aerospace, Inc., a South Korean developer of high-performance launch vehicles and propulsion systems.
The partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2026 at the Philippines-Korea Business Forum, attended by Marcos and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
The MOU includes a know-how and training program where selected Filipino engineers train hands-on with Perigee’s Blue Whale class sounding rocket platform. The goal is a skilled Filipino aerospace workforce, not just a one-off launch.
Why the Philippines is a good launch site
PhilSA Director General Gay Jane Perez makes the case in two points: the Pacific Ocean to the east, and proximity to the equator.
The ocean gives safe, secure areas for rocket launch and recovery operations. The equatorial position means rockets get a boost from the Earth’s rotation, improving launch efficiency and reducing cost.
The timing is good. Space Foundation data shows global orbital launches hit a record 153 in the first half of 2026 alone, tracking toward topping 2025’s 329 launches, nearly one per day. Existing spaceports are booked years in advance.
What happens after the test
The Philippine Space Council approved the country’s first liquid-fueled rocket launch during its ninth meeting in June, chaired by Marcos at Malacañang.
PhilSA is now pursuing a Public-Private Partnership to develop a Philippine spaceport for long-term, sustainable commercial launches.
The launch in Cagayan also drives the development of interim guidelines for rocket launches and activities, crucial steps toward establishing and operating a full spaceport.
Beyond Cagayan, the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and Tarlac has been floated as another potential site as the space program scales up.
The bottom line
The Philippines is positioning itself as Southeast Asia’s next satellite launch hub. The 2027 sounding rocket test is a proof of concept, and the spaceport PPP is the long game.
If the launch succeeds and the spaceport materializes, the Philippines joins a very short list of nations capable of launching rockets from their own soil. That is the kind of milestone that changes what a country can do in space, and what it can charge other countries to do the same.
