SpaceX eyes Pinoy for human spaceflight program
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Monday that the Elon Musk-led SpaceX has expressed interest in selecting a Filipino for its human spaceflight program.
On March 5, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque met with SpaceX and Starlink executives in Hawthorne, California, to discuss the expansion of satellite broadband connectivity in the Philippines and the country’s participation in Musk’s space programs.
“We are fully committed to fostering a more business-friendly environment for tech companies like SpaceX,” Roque said in a statement.
If realized, this would be the Philippines’ first confirmed participation in an international commercial spaceflight.
In 2014, Daniel Angelo Roque was set to become the country’s first astronaut through the Axe Apollo Space Academy, a global contest sponsored by a popular men’s deodorant brand. But the mission was canceled after Lynx spacecraft developer XCOR Aerospace shut down in 2017.
