Philippines and Japan sign joint declaration to continue decades of space cooperation

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) signed a Joint Declaration of Interest in Space Cooperation on 27 May 2026, reaffirming their shared goals and objectives, and their interest in exploring cooperation and industry partnerships in Satellite Joint Mission Partnership and Data Applications, Space Exploration and Human Spaceflight, and Space Sustainability. The declaration was signed by PhilSA Ad Interim Director General Gay Jane P. Perez and JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan. 

“As we mark the 10th anniversary of the launch into orbit of the Diwata-1 microsatellite from the Japanese module of the International Space Station this year, we are reminded of how our partnership has quite literally reached new heights, symbolizing our shared commitment to innovation, science, and the industries of the future,” said President Marcos at the Summit Meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on 28 May.  

NASA, partners launch virtual hackathon to develop COVID-19 solutions

The U.S. space agency National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are inviting coders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, artists, and technologists to participate in a virtual hackathon May 30-31 dedicated to putting open data to work in developing solutions to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the global Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge, participants from around the world will create virtual teams that – during a 48-hour period – will use Earth observation data to propose solutions to COVID-19-related challenges ranging from studying the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and its spread to the impact the disease is having on the Earth system. Registration for this challenge opens in mid-May.