President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says the Philippines will conduct its first rocket launch in 2027, outlining the plan during his State of the Nation Address. Marcos also says a sounding rocket test is slated for next year, described as a short-duration launch used for research and atmospheric studies. According to reports, the administration is working with an aerospace company based in South Korea to carry out the activity. One outlet adds that the rocket launch test is planned in Cagayan, positioning the project as part of broader efforts to build the country’s presence in the space industry. Sounding rockets are characterized as small research vehicles that carry experiments and travel briefly into space for data collection. The announcements do not specify the rocket’s technical specifications or detailed timelines beyond the stated years. The reported comments are presented as the government’s initial schedule for a launch effort aimed at developing domestic capability and partnerships for future space activities.