Philippine Space Agency conducts analog mission at Batangas State University

ANAHAW Mission Structure at Batangas State University

The 24-hour simulation at Batangas State University divided participants into operational roles mirroring actual space missions. Six individuals served as the primary crew, experiencing simulated conditions of living and working in a lunar habitat. Five other members operated out of mission control, monitoring the activities and providing technical advice throughout the September 25 to 26 exercise.

This operational test followed a courtesy call on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, when PhilSA and four Filipino analog astronauts met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace in Manila. During the meeting, officials discussed analog missions, upcoming PhilSA programs, and broader strategies to develop domestic capabilities in space science, technology, and human spaceflight preparations. “It is not every day that I get to talk about space in Malacañang,” Marcos stated in a Facebook post, adding that he looks forward to the day when a Filipino takes that science into space.

Global Training Background of Filipino Analog Astronauts

The four Filipino analog astronauts who briefed the administration have completed specialized training programs and missions across multiple international facilities. Kristine Jane Atienza, a nutrition specialist from Bataan, joined the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) program and earned suborbital spaceflight certification from the National Aerospace Training and Research Center in Pennsylvania. Dr. Marvic Jon Alcantara, a medical specialist from Cavite and the first Filipino medical doctor to serve as an analog astronaut, participated in missions in Hawaii and Australia.

Florence Pauline Basubas, a space biologist from Cebu, served as executive and medical officer for the Monsaraz Mars Analog Mission in Portugal. Dr. Mark Angelo Purio, a space engineer from Oriental Mindoro, became the first Filipino engineer analog astronaut through LunAres Mission M4.26 in Poland and previously contributed to the development of the Philippines’ Maya-2 cube satellite.

Future Expansion Under ANAHAW 2.0 and the 2029 Timeline

PhilSA Acting Director General Gay Jane Perez outlined plans to use these internationally trained specialists to scale up domestic simulation programs. The agency is eyeing the expansion of the initiative into ANAHAW 2.0, with analog missions scheduled across several universities in 2027. PhilSA is also planning a two-week professional all-Filipino analog mission in 2027, with potential locations including the LunAres Research Station in Piła, Poland, or the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, United States.

Perez indicated that an all-Filipino crew could provide unique insights into how teams manage isolation, confinement, and resource limitations. “There will be new observations that will be made,” Perez said. “How will Filipinos in a confined environment survive? But we think there are values that will prevail – bayanihan (teamwork) – and this is something that the international community can also learn from us.”

To institutionalize these efforts, PhilSA is developing a three-year astronaut program. The initiative may encompass a nationwide search for participants, a two-week all-Filipino analog mission, and a competitive selection process for astronaut candidates alongside the development of high-impact scientific experiments. Under this proposed timeline, Perez noted that PhilSA could have an astronaut candidate and a scientific experiment ready for launch by the end of 2029, though emerging commercial human spaceflight opportunities could potentially accelerate this schedule.