Russia Offers To Develop Philippine Space Programs Under President Duterte

Russia is willing to offer anything they have for the development of the Philippines’ space programs under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev.

“Under President Vladimir Putin, we offer our willingness to cooperate with your country in all aspects of this portfolio,” Khovaev told CNN Philippines.

Khovaev said that it appreciated the Philippines’ bilateral agreement in the field of space exploration.

“As you know, Russia is a great outer space power. We have a very rich experience in this respect. We have very highly skilled workers, engineers, scientists, sophisticated technologies, high-quality equipment,” he said.

Russia’s state space agency, ROSCOSMOS, is known for being a pioneer in space exploration, sending the first dog around Earth’s orbit in 1957, and the first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.

Russia is also part of the International Space Station (ISS) program, along with the United States, Japan, China and Europe.

On March 23, 2016, the Philippines launched its first microsatellite, Diwata-1, board an Atlas V rocket  from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the United States.

The microsatellite is a flagship project of the DOST meant not just to place the Philippines on the map of space innovation, but also to reap its contributions to agricultural productivity, food security, and even tourism.

Khovaev said Russia was ready to cooperate with the Philippines in future space projects.

“We are ready to cooperate with your country... So we are ready to offer anything we have,” he said.

Source: CNN Philippines