Mexican engineer testing satellites

Fernando Mier-Hicks, Mexican engineer born in Aguascalientes, is recreating the most hostile aspects of outer space for satellites to survive up there. He has designed a machine that simulates three conditions from outer space: a zero friction environment, the vacuum (absence of air) and space plasma. A constellation of these devices has the potential of carrying the internet all around the globe and driving giants such as AT&T or Telmex out of the business. The zero friction environment warrants long duration of any movement. Its vacuum chamber generates nano magnetic levitation. Since the space temperature varies from -10 degrees Celsius (C°) in the dark up to 80 C° in the sunlight, “satellites have to be designed to stand and mitigate these changes”, explains Mier-Hicks. In addition, this machine simulates space plasma, that is, particles with electric charge which might be dangerous to satellites’ circuits.