The Rizal Technological University Department of Earth and Space Sciences (RTU-DESS) participated in the 2024 Philippine Space Week Celebration Exhibit themed #Yamang Kalawakan ay Likas sa ating Bagong Pilipinas” from August 8-11, 2024 at the Quantum Skyview, Gateway 2 Mall, Araneta City where the university’s integration of robotics into its BS Astronomy Program was featured.

RTU-DESS prepared and assembled the Dobot Magician Robotic Arm equipped with a writing module to create personalized cards, and two VEX Robots with claw modules available for the hands-on use of the viewers.

The exhibit’s centerpiece is a Light Pollution Diorama modeled after DARKSky.org’s “Responsible Outdoor Lighting” initiative that presented the impact of various streetlight designs on light pollution while emphasizing the importance of downward-pointing and motion-sensor lighting to reduce light pollution to see more visible stars in the sky and minimize the harm to the native nocturnal species and ecosystems.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), the 2024 Philippine Space Week is an annual celebration observed on August, declared through Proclamation No 302 (s.2023) by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., aims to promote space awareness and recognize the contributions of Filipinos worldwide in the field of space science, advancing scientific knowhow, technological innovation, policy and cooperation for the peaceful, responsible, and sustainable uses of outer space.