Blue Whale 0.1 Rocket to Launch from Philippines
The Korean-built liquid-fuel rocket is planned for an early 2027 launch from Philippine territory after completed crew training.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Space
Korean space company Perigee Aerospace has completed the Korean phase of the Sounding Rocket Cooperation Program Phase 2 with the Philippine Space Agency. Ten Philippine engineers spent about 10 weeks at Perigee's Korean headquarters and the Okcheon Rocket Development Complex completing system-level verification of the Blue Whale 0.1 rocket. The rocket is planned to launch from Philippine territory in early 2027; this is a forecast, not a completed launch.
Why it matters
The program shows a private South Korean liquid-fuel rocket being transferred into operational hands in a Southeast Asian national space agency. Perigee's stated plan to expand across the global space market, including Southeast Asia, suggests smaller space agencies may increasingly build sounding-rocket capability through commercial partners.
The verification steps completed were system-level checks covering full vehicle assembly, launch pad assembly, dry runs, wet dress rehearsals, and combustion tests. No thrust, altitude, or other performance specifications for Blue Whale 0.1 are provided in the source.
The players
Perigee Aerospace
South Korean private space company that developed the liquid-fuel Blue Whale 0.1 rocket and runs the Okcheon Rocket Development Complex training program.
Philippine Space Agency
The national space agency of the Philippines, leading the Blue Whale 0.1 launch from Philippine territory under the Sounding Rocket Cooperation Program.
The details
Perigee's Korean engineers trained Philippine Space Agency staff through the full verification sequence, which included assembling the complete vehicle and launch pad. A dry run is a rehearsal in which pre-launch procedures and system operations are checked without loading propellant, while a wet dress rehearsal runs the countdown with propellant loaded. Blue Whale 0.1 is South Korea's first private liquid-fuel rocket, and Perigee previously tested it on Jeju Island in 2021.
Timeline
2021: Blue Whale 0.1 test launch on Jeju Island.
- 2026-11-02
Perigee announces completion of the Korean phase of the program.
Early 2027: Planned Blue Whale 0.1 launch from Philippine territory.
The Tech Race
The Sounding Rocket Cooperation Program Phase 2 pairs a South Korean commercial rocket builder with a Southeast Asian national space agency. Perigee's stated aim to expand into Southeast Asia positions it against other commercial providers seeking government and agency customers in the region.
The launch is not yet scheduled to a specific date, so no public access or service changes are associated with it now. For readers, the practical effect is limited to watching whether the early-2027 launch from the Philippines occurs on schedule.
The takeaway
The key trajectory is a private rocket company transferring launch capability to a national space agency in Southeast Asia. Watch for the Blue Whale 0.1 launch from Philippine territory in early 2027 as the verifiable test of whether the program reaches flight.
What happens next
The Blue Whale 0.1 launch from Philippine territory is scheduled for early 2027, which will be the next verifiable milestone.
Further reading
For broader context on launch vehicles and orbital access, see the Space section.
