THE CHALLENGES THAT MEXICO IS FACING TO INTEGRATE SPACE EDUCATION IN THE COUNTRY

摘要

Under the framework of the National Program of Space Activities, 9 proposals were approved by the goverment board of the Mexican Space Agency in order to develop human resources in the space field in Mexico in 2012. In 2013 the implementation of some of the proposals for the development of human capital in the space field began in Mexico. During that year the Mexican Space Agency faced a number of challenges for space education implementation not initially contemplated. Fortunately some challenges have already been overcome in practice, but others are pending yet. For the foregoing reasons, the tactical planning of 2014 was redesigned to overcome the challenges encountered in 2013 and to align space education in Mexico to the major national projects in space technology planned during 2013. With these major projects, Mexico plans the development of the industrial, government and academia sectors in the space area. It is considered that while a small segment of the population recognizes that space is a strategic asset that should be exploited by Mexicans, most people are unaware of the potential of the use and exploitation of space. Although Mexico has communication satellites, they were bought, so Mexico has not developed proprietary technology that allows develop or participate in international space projects. Some of the challenges to overcome are the following: 1. Ignorance and disinterest of decision makers about space topics. 2. Mexico does not have space infrastructure. 3. Excessive bureaucracy makes a slower development of space science and technology in Mexico. On the other hand some Mexican strengths are: 1. Mexican Universities have shown a lot of interest and enthusiasm in the spacial development of Mexico. 2. There are more specialists in the universities that were initially considered. 3. Topics space wake much curiosity and interest in the population 4. Hispanic communities based in other countries have shown desire to support space development in Mexico. 5. There are different spacial projects in development in Mexico and mexican specialists working on space projects in other countries. 6. There is a astronomic culture in different parts of the country. 7. The student community has enthusiastically embraced based learning space projects In this paper it is shown the challenges that Mexico is facing to integrate space education in the country and how they are being solved.