Mexico is ready to build satellites: AEM
MEXICO - Mexico is prepared for the construction of satellites and it is possible to build them in the country, since we have experience in the development of small satellites and nanosatellites, in addition to the fact that several Mexican satellites have already been launched, said Salvador Landeros Ayala, general director of the Mexican Space Agency (AEM).
In his participation in the International Forum on Space and Satellite Communication, organized by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), the executive explained that with the official norms and international standards, Mexico is in a position to build its own satellites.
“We have to strengthen this possibility, because other countries like ours are already building their own satellites to satisfy their internal needs, but also to be able to export technology,” he said.
In addition to this, he said, there is the challenge of building terminals, ground stations, which constitutes the terrestrial segment; while on the subject of space exploration, he added, Mexico is already part of the Artemis space program for the return to the Moon in 2026 and to have extended stays, villages, villages to later go to Mars.
For this reason, he said, during the World Space Weeks, the slogan was “the Moon, gateway to the stars”; he mentioned that in the next 10 years there will be 250 missions to the Moon, which represents industrial and technological development.
He indicated that new space stations are already being built, three of them commercial; therefore, Mexico has a great opportunity for the construction of rockets and launching ports, it is enormous, due to its geographic position and the demand for launches.
It is estimated, he said, that by 2030 there will be one hundred thousand satellites in space, a great opportunity and we are working on it, but the key is investment, to make important investments, because we have a great strength, human capital, very well recognized worldwide.
On the other hand, he said that outer space in Mexico is considered a priority area for national development, which was reflected in the constitutional reform to articles 28 and 73, where it was also sought to regulate space activities, communication satellites, Earth observation, rockets and launching bases and special garbage, among others.
He recalled that in 2023, the Chamber of Deputies approved the reform of the Space Law, with 462 votes in favor, zero against and 25 abstentions, he added that this Law is currently in the Senate Chamber for its approval.
The Director General of the AEM is confident that the Senate will soon approve this law, which seeks to give priority to space activities, the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, to make it a priority and to regulate all space activities of telecommunications, Earth observation, space exploration and space debris.
