The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), through the Mexican Space Agency (AEM), in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), announced a new technological advance for satellites that will be launched into space in 2025.
According to Salvador Landeros Ayala, general director of the AEM, an agreement was reached for an innovative “Command and Information Management System” (SCMI), designed for nanosatellites, to be included in the Space Agency’s “GuaraníSat-2” satellite. of Paraguay (AEP) that will be launched in October 2025.
This system, the result of the joint work of the Laboratory of Electronic Instrumentation of Space Systems (LIESE) of the Faculty of Engineering of the UNAM and the AEM, was successfully tested in March 2024 at the University of the Republic of Uruguay, located in Montevideo
The SCMI, designed by doctoral student Aldair Lara Tenorio and coordinated by Dr. Saúl de la Rosa Nieves, with the participation of 12 students, is ready for its first space mission. The trip will allow us to analyze the SCMI’s response capacity against radiation and its architecture, designed to be fault tolerant, in addition to running an algorithm to determine the satellite’s orientation.
In January 2025, those responsible for the project will travel to South America to supervise integration tests with the satellite, followed by a complementary phase in Japan.
The highlight of this system is its ability to achieve reliability levels close to those of specialized space devices, but using more affordable components, significantly reducing costs.
Teacher Lara Tenorio expressed his pride at seeing the SCMI materialize, highlighting that in the preliminary tests he achieved more than 80% success. Once in orbit, this technology will have the potential to be applied to various space missions, consolidating itself as a cutting-edge Mexican technological development.
This interesting proposal could protect astronauts from radiation and allow them to explore nearby planets, such as Venus and Mars.
Developed entirely at UNAM, the SCMI will not only contribute to the growth of the country’s aerospace industry, but will also position Mexico as a scientific reference in the design of its own satellites. “In our Faculty there is an impressive source of talent that demands an opportunity, which is our obligation to provide,” stressed Dr. De la Rosa, who stated that Mexico can already build satellites with 60% national components.
The Mexican Space Agency (AEM) is a Mexican government agency that operates in a decentralized manner under the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT). Since its creation in 2010, it has been dedicated to promoting the development of space activities in the country, promoting scientific and technological research, in addition to training specialized professionals in the aerospace field.
The purpose of the AEM is to position Mexico as a leading actor in the exploration and peaceful use of space. Its main lines of work include the design and application of space technologies, as well as the establishment of international alliances with other agencies and companies in the sector. In addition, it promotes the use of space for applications in telecommunications, environmental monitoring, meteorology and emergency management.
With a focus on innovation and local talent, the AEM seeks to consolidate Mexico as a competitive country in the space industry at an international level.
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