Mexican Space Agency signs contract for an undetermined payload to the Moon!

[MrZayas1]

Out of curiosity I googled the Mexican Space Agency. It hasn't done much, but I found this article.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/science/2015/06/10/Pittsburgh-s-Astrobotic-signs-Mexican-Space-Agency-for-trip-to-the-moon/stories/201506100099

Seems legit, not sure what Mexico would get from this though, other than the first Latin-American country to land on the moon. Thoughts?

Edit: Here is Astrobotic's website for those curious: https://www.astrobotic.com/

[J.Random]

So, orca whale, right?

[Kryten]

O

Seems legit, not sure what Mexico would get from this though, other than the first Latin-American country to land on the moon. Thoughts?

The agency doesn't have a defined payload, they've put out a request for proposals from corporations and universities to develop instruments. Presumably they see this as part of their remit of developing the aerospace industry.

[AcidSludge]

So, orca whale, right?

[BriXman]

Seems interesting. It'll be interesting to see this.

[xenomorph555]

It seems that we are on the verge of company's and smaller countries accessing the moon, just like in the 60's/70's when many companies began accessing and using LEO. Maybe we can finally expand our "human territory" boundaries to the moon.

[RAINCRAFTER]

I want an Irish space agency for my Irish friend Astrogamer, and Willie the whale for that unrelated thing that was the first reply.

[Kryten]

I want an Irish space agency for my Irish friend Astrogamer, and Willie the whale for that unrelated thing that was the first reply.

Ireland are part of the ESA, although their contribution is fairly minimal.

[RAINCRAFTER]

Ireland are part of the ESA, although their contribution is fairly minimal.

Oh yeah, the ESA is a thing. Just make Ireland more relevant in it!

[ChrisSpace]

Wait, Mexico is going to the moon... this is just like what George Freidman predicted in his book The Next 100 Years. More or less.

So, a quick recap on nations capable of probing the moon:

America

ESA

China

Russia

India

Japan

And ones planning to do so:

UK (independent of ESA)

Both Koreas

Mexico

Possibly Iran

Possibly UAE

[MrZayas1]

I wouldn't make too much of it, as I believe they are using a commercial company to do so, but this has large implications for the future. To me, the idea of Mexico even considering doing this is a pretty neat thing, another country to put enthusiasm back into space I suppose.

[TheGamingNoobster]

The time when you realise that Australia was the third nation to build and launch their own orbital rocket... Such a shame that after the 60's and 70's many nations tended to give up on their space programs. Another space program you probably don't know about is the Congo Space Program.

[SargeRho]

As far as I know, Australia has never launched their own rocket. Soviet Union, US, France, Japan and China are the first 5 to launch their own orbital rockets.

[ChrisSpace]

The time when you realise that Australia was the third nation to build and launch their own orbital rocket... Such a shame that after the 60's and 70's many nations tended to give up on their space programs. Another space program you probably don't know about is the Congo Space Program.

Australia didn't design, build or launch the rocket you are referring to. The British did all that, they just needed a more equatorial nation to launch it from. All Australians did was allow them to build their launch facility here, and mistakenly think that its our rocket since it launched from our land.

As for the 'Congo Space Program', never heard of it. Please tell us more.

[peadar1987]

Australia didn't design, build or launch the rocket you are referring to. The British did all that, they just needed a more equatorial nation to launch it from. All Australians did was allow them to build their launch facility here, and mistakenly think that its our rocket since it launched from our land.

As for the 'Congo Space Program', never heard of it. Please tell us more.

Same story, it was a German programme who used the DRC (then Zaire) as a launch site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTRAG_(rocket)