MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Space Agency will launch the TALA rocket, the first high-power hybrid rocket developed in the Philippines, in Capas, Tarlac this week as part of its visit to schools in the province to promote space education and research.
TALA, which is 10 feet long and weighs 15 kilograms, is made of 3D-printed advanced composite materials and was developed under the Young Innovators Program of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).
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The rocket uses both solid and liquid propellant and was developed by senior high school students of St. Cecilia’s College-Cebu Inc., PhilSA said. It also said the locally-developed rocket has flight sensors, a GPS, a dual parachute deployment, and a payload system to bring a Can Satellite (CanSat) up to approximately 5 kilometers into the atmosphere.
CanSats are used to teach about space technology and are also used to gather environmental data.
TALA was scheduled for launch in March 2020 but this had to be postponed because of the pandemic. "Since early 2022, PhilSA and the TALA team, in collaboration with the Philippine Air Force through the Philippine Air Force Research and Development Center, have been jointly working on efforts to refuel the launch of TALA," PhilSA said.
Apart from the rocket launch, PhilSA will be in Tarlac to visit schools and put up a Space Technology Applications Exhibit at the Tarlac State University Main Campus from May 16 to 18. — Jonathan de Santos