Among its objectives, in accordance with said law that to date has not suffered a single reform, are “to formulate and propose to the head of the Ministry of Communications and Transport the general lines of the spatial policy of Mexico, as well as the National Program of space activities “and” develop the scientific-technological capacity of the country through the articulation of the
sectors involved in all fields of spatial activity that make their performance possible in a framework of national autonomy in the matter ”.
The last announcement published on the AEM website is: “New Mexican Nanosatellite ‘GXIBA-1’, to the space in 2025. The progress of Mexican capabilities in satellite matters continues. Monitor volcanoes from the space for population protection, the goal. It will arrive at the International Space Station in collaboration with the Japanese Space Agency. ”
How much resource has the AEM told to develop such expensive purposes? In 2024 a budget of just 73 million 913 thousand 894 pesos was approved. As of September 2024, it had accrued only 44 million 439 thousand 330 pesos, that is, it presented a sub -exercise of 25 million 281 thousand 706 pesos.
In recent years the agency has been the subject of budget reductions. For example, in 2022 it suffered a decrease of 21.1% in relation to the budget that had been approved. The Ministry of Finance, arguing budgetary control reasons, in August 2022, reduced its operating expenses by 55.9%. That year, the Budget paid to the AEM did not even reach 52 million pesos after the reduction. The unthinkable judicial election, only to have a comparison parameter, will cost 98 million pesos … only in Michoacán.
This abuse of the space organism is not exclusive to the governments of the fourth transformation, its budget is today as lean as for 15 years. Mexican astronaut Rodolfo Neri Vela has criticized this lack of investment for the development of scientific-technological capacity and has described the AEM as the “poorest space agency on the planet.”
Under these conditions, Salvador Landeros Ayala, who was appointed Director General by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as of November 1, 2019, presented his letter of resignation to President Sheinbaum, which was received by the Officials of Parts of Parties of The Office of the Presidency of the Republic on January 23 at noon.
It is overwhelming in the reason that led him to make this decision: “The reason is that the AEM has not been given the importance that it deserves, neither budget or administratively, and must be the integrative and articulating body of the spatial activities of Mexico” .
Landeros Ayala, as director of the AEM, achieved that Spacex, the aerospace -manufacturing company and space transport services of multimillionaire Elon Musk, launched from the NASA facilities in Cabo Cañaveral the first Mexican nanosatellite, which brought the name of “ Aztechsat-1 ”.
Now, the Master in Science (Electrical Engineering) from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States and Doctor in Engineering (Telecommunications) by UNAM, regrets what was recently informed: that the Mexican space agency will disappear.
