Mexican Space Agency: its origin, plans and achievements through a seminary presented by Carlos Duarte at the GeoSat Center of Texas A&M University on March 3, 2016

1. 1
Emerging Scientific, Technological,
Industrial Challenges and Opportunities
for the Mexican Space Agency
Carlos Duarte
Mexican Space Agency
Houston, Texas, March 3, 2016
Texas A&M University

2. Overview
• Space activities in Mexico today
• The Mexican Space Agency
• Where should Mexico be in 2030?
• Current challenges
• Opportunities
• A plan to turn Mexico into a significant
space actor in 2030
• Conclusions

3. Mexico in Numbers
Population: 120 Million
Land Area: 2.0 Million km2
Exclusive ocean economic
zone: 3.3 Million km2
Coastline: 11,000 km
Mexico-US border: 3,200 km
GDP $1.3 Trillion USD
14th economy in the world
1/5 of Mexico´s population
concentrated in Mexico City
Metropolitan area

4. Experimental Space Activities in
Mexico
1980s: “Morelos”
Satellites System,
contracted with Hughes
& NASA.
Development of space
experiments for the
NASA space shuttle
container program, in
collaboration with USA
universities
1970s: National
Comission on Outer
Space.
Sounding rockets

5. CNAEE rockets c. 1962

6. Mexican space experiments

7. Experimental Space Activities in Mexico
2000s: SATMEX Satellites
System, contracted with
Hughes, Boeing, Loral &
ESA.
Diverse small satellite
projects: SATEDU, CONDOR,
SENSAT.
1990s: “Solidaridad”
Satellites System,
contracted with ESA &
Hughes.
Development of the
SATEX-1 microsatellite.
Development of the
UNAMSAT
microsatellites.

8. SATEX-1

9. MexSat Satellite System
9

10. Sistema Satelital Mex-SatMexSat Control Centers
11m Antenna in Mexico City Radio frequency lab in Mexico
City
Antenna in Hermosillo, Sonora

11. Aerospace and defense sector in Mexico
Key facts:
• +15% average annual growth rate of
exports during 2006-2014
• 302 companies and support
organizations most of which have
NADCAP and AS9100 certifications
• The industry employs more than
45,000 high level professionals
• Companies are mainly located in 5
states Number of aerospace companies
Source MexicoNow

12. Mexican Aerospace Sector

13. AEM milestones
2nd Stage
¤ Approval of the Law
that creates the
Mexican Space
Agency
July 30, 2010
¤ Board of
Government first
meeting
¤ Beginning of
operations
November 1, 2011
September 7, 2010
November 16, 2010
April 11, 2011
¤ National
consultation forums
July 13, 2011
¤ Publication of the
National Space Policy
¤ Ratification of
Director Genaral
November 1, 2015

14. Vision and Mission
Vision Mission
Have a sovereign and sustainable space
infrastructure for earth observation,
navigation and satellite broadband
communications, to help improve the
quality of life of the population and
economic growth in Mexico.
Use science and space technology to
meet the needs of the Mexican
population and the creation of high
added value jobs, driving innovation and
development of the space sector,
contributing to the competitiveness and
positioning Mexico in the international
community in the peaceful, effective
and responsible use of space.

15. AEM priorities
Help to solve national problems
and needs
Job creation
Using the capabilities that space offer

16. 16
Vision 2030
Mexico makes significant
contributions to space S&T
Planning
And
Funding
Industrial development
and competitiveness
International
Affairs
and
Security
Science and technology
development
Human capital development
in the space field

17. Organization
Director
General
Human Capital
Science and
Technology
Industrial and
Commercial
International
and
Security
Finance and
Information
Technology
Board

18. Mexican Space Program
Bringing the Space down to Earth
06/03/2016 18

19. Mexico´s space vision (2030)
• Turn Mexico into a significant
international space player
– Significant space infrastructure built
mostly with indigenous capabilities
– Space awareness of population
– Adequate human capital
– Significant space industry, focused on
niches
– Contribution to space exploration and
research

20. Challenges
• Increase public funding
• Increase participation of Mexican
industry in R&D operations
• Foster interaction between academic
researchers and industry
• Tackle global challenges (climate,
security, connectivity…)

21. Mexican Space
Research
• ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS,
GEOPHYSICS
• SPACE COMMUNICATIONS
• EARTH OBSERVATION
• OCEAN SCIENCES
• EARTH SCIENCES
• ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
• NATURAL DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
•Astrobiology
REDCyTE

22. Mexico´s contribution: 0.4%

23. Brazil´s contribution: 2.10%
Mexico´s contribution: 0.70%

24. Scores of categories that contributed for Mexico
Competitiveness 2014-2015

25. Opportunities
• Growing need for space applications
• Growing aerospace industry
• Small satellites: shifting paradigm
• Scientific base
• Growing interest in private space transportation
• Free trade agreements
• Population bonus
• Geopolitical location

26. Mexican Space Program:
26
1 SPACE
INFRASTRUCTURE
2 SPACE SECTOR
DEVELOPMENT
3 CAPACITY
BUILDING
4 INTERNATIONAL
POSITIONING

27. 27
Linking vision and strategy
Goals Strategy
Mexico has adequate space
infrastructure
• Develop joint programs between government and
industry to generate space infrastructure
Mexico has a globally competitive space
industry
• Develop private space science and technology
industry sector through PPPs
Mexico has a robust space science and
technology base
• Human capital development through alliances with
universities, industry, state governments and
international partners
Mexican people have awareness and
appreciation for science
• Advocate the importance of space science and
technology and its benefits among the population
Mexico as a space global player which
contributes to space exploration and
research
• Establish partnerships with space advanced
countries
• Participation in international projects

28. Mexican Space development:
Timeline

29. Current Projects
• Develop a small satellite constellation for disaster management purposes
• Develop qualified human capital for future satellite projects
• Develop Space Industry through PPPs
• Regional Space Development Centers supported by Mexican States
• CONACYT-AEM Trust Fund dedicated to funding space projects
• international cooperation
06/03/2016 29

30. Satellite constellation for disaster
managenent

31. Medium
Res
Imagery
Disasters
Agriculture
Biodiversity
Natural
Resources
Climate
Change
06/03/2016 31
Hi-Res
ImageryDisasters
Surveillance
Cartography
Natural
Resources
Statistical
Information

32. Human Capital Development
• Train the trainers
• Extensive use of ICTs
• K-12 through graduate
• International Cooperation

33. AEM educational tools
• Electronic magazine
• Outreach webchannel
• Educational portal
• Educational contests
• World Space Week

34. CONACYT-AEM Trust Fund
CONACYT, the equivalent to NSF in Mexico
provides matching funds to AEM
contribution
Designed to fund space science and
technology projects
Funds are asigned by a competition
process to Mexican entities (universities,
companies, NGOs) qualified by CONACYT

35. Regional Centers for Space Development
(Credes)
Zacatecas
Estado de México
Chiapas
Quintana Roo
Yucatán

36. Chetumal Antenna
Main antenna of AEM´s constellation
system
Donated by DLR
Sponsored by AEM and ECOSUR
Right now under repairs

37. Space communications Center in
Zacatecas
Sponsored by AEM and the
Autonomous University of
Zacatecas
Focused initally in Space
communications

38. Launch Center for Small Payloads
• A joint project with the
State of Chiapas
• In collaboration with the
Universidad Politécnica de
Chiapas
• Will launch small payloads
• To be deployed in 2017

39. Center for development and testing of
small satellites
• A joint project with the
Estado de Mexico State
Government
• Will have capabilities to
develop small sats up to 50
Kg
• Under development

40. Spatial data repository
• A joint project with Yucatán
State Government
• Agreement is under
discussion
• Will start operations in
2017
• UP Yucatan curricula
development

41. International
AGREEMENTS
NASA
UKSA
ISA
DLRCNES
Ukraine
isro
International Cooperation

42. UN Activities
• COPUOS
– Long Term Sustainability of Space
• Co-Chair Expert Group A
– Legal and Technical Subcommittee
– UN-Mexico BSTI Workshop
• UN-Spider

43. IAA
Bogota Meeting
ALAS (Latin-America Alliance of Space
Agencies)

44. Bogotá declaration
• Academic cooperation
• Access to satellite data
• Information exchange on
national programs
• Regional space infrastructure
(niches)
• Capacity building

45. Other international activities
• International
Astronautical Federation
Heads of Agency Summit:
Mexico Declaration for
climate change
• Vicepresidency of the
International Academy of
Astronautics

46. Possible modes of collaboration with
TAMU
Academic exchange
Joint projects with Mexican entities/NASA
JSC/AEM/other Space agencies, such as
• Earth observation
• Climate change
• Natural resource management
• etc
Student internships at TAMU

47. Conclusions
• Human capital development the key for
success
• Strong program for capacity building
• Early warning and disaster
management a key priority.
• Space infrastructure: a change of vision
• Gradual involvement of Mexico in
international space exploration projects

48. See you in Guadalajara!

49. Thank you!
duarte.carlos@aem.gob.mx