“Elon Musk is interested in setting up a launchpad for SpaceX in Mindanao,” said Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippine Ambassador to the United States.
He noted that the location is ideal due to its proximity to the Earth’s equator, which provides key advantages for rocket launches.
Launching satellites near the equator offers efficiency benefits because the Earth spins faster at this latitude, giving rockets an additional velocity boost. This reduces fuel consumption and allows for larger payloads, making launches more cost-effective.
SpaceX, through its Starlink broadband project, is also deploying thousands of satellites into Low Earth Orbit to expand global internet coverage.
Romualdez said the Philippine government, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is in communication with SpaceX regarding the proposal.
Asked for comment, DICT secretary Ivan Uy said the discussions remain in the exploratory stage.
“Will explore this suggestion with Elon and his team first,” Uy said in a text message to InsiderPH.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
