Mexico City, January 13 (EFE).- The first mission to the moon by Mexico and Latin America, called ‘Hive’, managed to cross the lunar orbit and, with the fulfillment of 75% of its objectives, it aims towards its second mission in 2027, reported Gustavo Medina, project leader from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
The ‘Hive’ project seeks to enable five micro robots, called ‘bees’, to analyze the possibility of installing structures on the lunar surface and study lunar dust as a resource for the production of oxygen and metals, as well as to know how it affects telecommunications.
The ‘Colmena’ project was launched from a platform in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States aboard the Peregrin ship, owned by the company Astrobotic and supported by the Mexican Space Agency (AEM).
Medina even highlighted that Mexico is positioned as one of the few countries in the world that successfully enters deep cislunar space with its own technology, about 385,000 kilometers from Earth.
“Very few countries in the world have arrived and Mexico is now in that club. We can say that we have obtained enough achievements to go directly to ‘Colmena II’ in 2027.” Medina said in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
The landing of the bees, which weigh less than 60 grams and measure 12 centimeters in diameter, was not possible on this first mission, due to a propulsion failure and fuel leak from the American Peregrine spacecraft, discarding the remaining 25% of its final objectives.
Gustavo Medina Tanco, head of the mission, reported, “Our propellant estimates currently have us running out of fuel sooner than the (planned) 15 days; However, our engineers are still optimistic about extending Peregrine’s lifespan.”
Nevertheless, The ‘Hive’ of Mexican micro robots maintains full communication with the Institute of Nuclear Sciences of the UNAM, in Mexico, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in the USA.
“It was possible to generate the necessary techno-scientific knowledge, the training of highly specialized human resources and the link with national and international companies and institutions,” reported the UNAM ICN, while announcing that the transmission of information has already begun.
Next Thursday, January 18, a teleconference is planned through official NASA channels to give the most important updates on this first mission, while two more ‘Hive’ missions are already scheduled in 2027 and 2030. (c) EFE Agency
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