Agencia Espacial Mexicana

Mexican Space Agency
(Agencia Espacial Mexicana)
Agency overview
Formed July 31, 2010
Jurisdiction Secretariat of Communications and Transportation
Headquarters Mexico City, Mexico
Annual budget MXN$103.96 million (2014)
Agency executive
Website www.aem.gob.mx

The Mexican Space Agency (Spanish: Agencia Espacial Mexicana, AEM) is the national space agency of Mexico, established in July 2010.

History

While the study of astronomy in the region dates back to pre-Columbian times and had a boom in the colonial period, the direct antecedent of the agency is the Comisión Nacional del Espacio Exterior (CONEE) (English: National Commission of Outer Space), an office created by Presidential decree on August 31, 1962, and attached to the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation which conducted experiments in rocketry, telecommunications and atmospheric studies from 1962 to 1976.[1] After its dissolution by Presidential decree, on November 3, 1977, some activities were financed by the extinct Instituto Mexicano de Comunicaciones (Mexican Communications Institute) (transformed into the current Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones), by Satmex - then a state-owned company - and some higher education institutions, such as the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada and the CINVESTAV.[1]

Large Millimeter Telescope in Mexico

Presentation at Congress

The agency aims to coordinate the space activities that are performed in the country, such as those developed around the Large Millimeter Telescope in the state of Puebla.

The bill was originally conceived by José Luis Garcia and Fernando de la Peña. It was reviewed by Gianfranco Bissiacchi, José Hernández, Rodolfo Neri Vela among others. It was then submitted by the moral leader of the teachers in the state of Hidalgo.[2]

The developers presented a bill to congress whose main purpose was, according to Fernando de la Peña, promote private investment and facilitate the creation of multinational aerospace companies in the State of Hidalgo.[3] The bill required the Agency to become a self-financing entity and not merely focus on research activities.

The agency was approved by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies (208 voted yes, 2 no and 4 absentees) on April 20, 2010[4] after receiving a significant vote of confidence on April 26, 2006.[5]

Submission to the Senate

The protests and concerns of some sectors that were unhappy with not being considered before being presented to the Chamber of Deputies to be voted. For this reason, the PRD Senator and president of the Committee on Science and Technology of the Senate, Francisco Javier Castellón Fonseca, requested the organization of forums to identify any concerns and disagreements. Afterwards the 'Grupo Promotor de la Agencia Espacial Mexicana' was created and coordinated by the Academia de Ingeniería (English: Engineering Academy) made a new initiative of law for the Mexican Congress. To this proposal some comments where included, (particularly from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, and the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias de la Presidencia de la República (Science Advisory Board of the Presidency of the Republic),.[6] The new initiative ended up being adopted by the Senate unanimously on November 4, 2008 and returned to the chamber of origin to be turned over to the committees on science and technology, legislative studies second, and budget and public accounts to undergo a second analysis and ballot.[7]

Establishment

The law that creates the agency was published by the President Felipe Calderón on July 30, 2010 and as the law itself states, it came into force on July 31, 2010.[8]

The first governing board was established on 7 September 2010. The board organised a series of forums with space experts to outline a space policy. The policy was published on 13 July 2011. On 1 November 2011 Francisco Javier Mendieta Jiménez was appointed as Director General.[9] In 2012, funding was secured for an educational satellite.[10]

Activities

A human resources forum was formed in the city of Puerto Vallarta.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Las Actividades Espaciales en Mexico" (in Spanish).
  2. ↑ "Jiménez urge votos para Manjarrez" (in Spanish).
  3. ↑ "Agencia Espacial Mexicana, una realidad" (in Spanish).
  4. ↑ Arvizu, Juan. "Crean diputados Agencia Espacial Mexicana". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  5. ↑ Héctor Guerrero. "Tendrá México su agencia espacial" (in Spanish). Noticieros Televisa.
  6. ↑ "Una Agencia Espacial Mexicana" (in Spanish).
  7. ↑ "Aprueba Senado Ley para Agencia Espacial Mexicana" (in Spanish).
  8. ↑ "Decreto por el que se expide la Ley que crea la Agencia Espacial Mexicana". Diario Oficial de la Federación (in Spanish). Diario Oficial de la Federación, Secretaría de Gobernación. July 30, 2010. Archived from the original on 6 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  9. ↑ "Google Translate". google.com.
  10. ↑ "Mexican congressman gets funding for educational satellite". Fox News Latino.
  11. ↑ "Puerto Vallarta Will Host Mexico’s Space Agency Forum".

External links

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