It is official.
Mexico’s congress green-lighted this week the creation of a “Mexican NASA”. The new agency is called AEXA (Agencia Espacial Mexicana).
AEXA will specialize in the promotion, coordination and encouragement of all matters relating to the research, exploration and use of outer space, in the interest of preserving this knowledge as a heritage to the Mexican nation.
Major backing for establishing AEXA came from José Hernández who flew into space on shuttle mission STS-128 in August 2009.
AEXA is to be based in the state of Hidalgo with discussion also underway to install a rocket launch pad in the Yucatan peninsula.
While AEXA is off and running, the budget for the organization is modest, reported to be just $800,000. However, advocates of the new space agency see its annual budget blossoming to $8 million, according to ScienceInsider, a communiqué from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Check out AEXA’s website at:
http://www.aexa.tv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=158&Itemid=27
By Leonard David