UPAEP celebrates the successful launch of Gxiba-1 with Space Fest

UPAEP celebrated a new historic achievement with the launch of Gxiba-1, its second nanosatellite developed entirely in Mexico, which was put into orbit from Japan en route to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a mission coordinated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The event brought together part of the team responsible for this scientific feat, led by Eugenio Urrutia Albisua, Director of Aerospace Projects at UPAEP, accompanied by Carlota García Campillo, an aerospace engineering student, as well as Alessia Sánchez Amezcua and Lucio Emiliano Ruiz Sepúlveda, software engineering students.

“We are very excited, but also very nervous. In space launches, anything can happen until the last second. However, knowing that today a satellite made entirely in Mexico, by UPAEP talent, is taking off fills us with pride,” said Urrutia Albisua.

The academic highlighted that, unlike other international projects, Gxiba-1 was designed, developed, and assembled entirely in Mexico, without technical collaboration from other countries, although JAXA provided the launch and exclusively reviewed safety aspects.

The satellite is traveling alongside other CubeSats from Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia, as well as supplies for the ISS astronauts. Its main mission will be to monitor active volcanoes, although it also has the capacity to communicate with amateur radio operators to transmit emergency messages to the Iridium satellite constellation, allowing for immediate reception on Earth.

For Carlota García Campillo, head of mission operations, the launch represents the culmination of several years of work.

"This is the moment when we see the result of years of effort. Participating in the operation of the satellite, monitoring its mission, and seeing how everything we learned in class translates into something real is a unique experience," she said.

For her part, Alessia Sánchez Amezcua, from the Flight Software team, shared the excitement of seeing a satellite measuring just 10 centimeters take off, a satellite that concentrates so much Mexican knowledge and technology. “It's incredible to think that something so small can represent so much effort and passion. We developed the software that will control the satellite in orbit. This moment marks history for all of us,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lucio Emiliano Ruiz Sepúlveda, from the ground station area, highlighted the importance of teamwork. "I am very proud to represent my group.

This project shows that students can contribute to space science and technology from Mexico." Eugenio Urrutia emphasized that the Gxiba-1 project involved more than 25 students and six professors, although the total number varied over the three and a half years of its development.

The process involved not only engineering disciplines such as aerospace, electronics, software, and mechatronics, but also fields such as law, marketing, design, communication, and administration, demonstrating the multidisciplinary nature of aerospace research at UPAEP.

"The first satellite, AztechSat-1, gave us a lot of experience and allowed us to pave the way. With Gxiba-1, we reaffirm that the university has the capacity to lead space projects with international standards," said the professor.

The Gxiba-1 nanosatellite will initially remain at the International Space Station, from where it will be released into orbit in early 2026, once the astronauts' schedule allows.