The UN/Mexico Symposium on Basic Space Technology Development 2014
By Adina Moloman
Source: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Baja California hosting International Symposiums on Basic Space Technology Development for Latin America and the Caribbean region organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The symposium, held in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico and co-hosted with the Mexican Space Agency and the CICESE (Center of Scientific Investigation and Superior Education of Ensenada) from the 20 to 23 October, 2014. This symposium is the third of its kind after the first one (United Nations/ Japan Nano Satellite Symposium) which was held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2012 and the second one (United Nations/ United Arab Emirates Symposium on Basic Space Technology) which was held in Dubai, in 2013.
The UN/Mexico Symposium with the theme “Making Space Technology Accessible and Affordable” has the objectives to review the status of capacity building of Latin America and Caribbean Countries in basic space technology (small satellite (<100 kg); the development and testing infrastructure; review state-of-the-art small satellite programs in the field of Earth observation and disaster management; elaborate on regulatory issues of space technology development programs and on legal issues related to international space law; the interest on discussing future collaborative projects in the field considering that there will be participants from around 60 countries all around the globe.
One of the reasons why Baja California was invited to host this international symposium has to do with the fact that is one of the most important industries Manufacturing in Mexico and an exporter of aeronautic components to the US and the rest of the world. Besides many aerospace transnational companies located in the state of Baja California there are also many small and medium size companies that are dedicated to activities such as advanced machinery, compound materials, aircraft maintenance, repair and adaptation, certification and training, numeric control, die and stamp management, thermal metal treatment, etc., that are encouraged to enter the aerospace sector. Mexico Space industry is moving forward to become a world class institute in advanced and composite materials, with world class local companies covering a space niche and also is counting with an important center for validation and certification for the space industry. AEM (Mexican Space Agency), the national space agency of Mexico was established in 2010 and its purposes are to increase scientific space activities, development of spatial technologies and improvement of skills and abilities of human resources.
