Nadia Zenteno Pérez, a 28-year-old Mexican scientist originally from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, is hoping to help revolutionize satellite construction and infrastructure with a material science project that NASA will send to space on Monday.
The potentially groundbreaking project — part of 2,700 kilograms of cargo aboard a SpaceX rocket scheduled to take off at 7:29 p.m. Mexico City time on Monday — uses an advanced alloy designed to withstand the extreme conditions of space.
The project will undergo six months of trials aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in its Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) module, following its launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“This is not only my success, but a victory for all young people in Chihuahua and Mexico,” Zenteno said, expressing gratitude for the state’s support and the international recognition her project has received.
Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos is scheduled to attend the NASA launch with Zenteno, who reportedly made a discovery while working with Jonathan Cruz at MatXSpace, a team of tech-savvy students and material scientists throughout Mexico.
Their discovery was an alloy that can be adapted to outer space, and could eventually be used to build satellite infrastructure and space exploration equipment. MatXSpace — which develops such projects and also promotes tech and science throughout Latin America — developed a mechanism using the alloy. It will be headed for the International Space Station on Monday, assuming launch conditions are favorable.
The alloy can stand up to intense radiation and temperature fluctuations, according to MatXSpace, which stands for “Materials for Space.” According to her LinkedIn page, Zenteno, who now resides in Puebla city, founded MatXSpace.
Campos in a press release described Zenteno and her findings as a source of pride for the state of Chihuahua. The governor not only facilitated the trip to the launch, but also a trip to Milan, Italy, where Zenteno presented her research at an international aerospace forum.
Zenteno’s achievements underscore the global competitiveness of aerospace technology in Mexico.
According to a recent report from Aviación 21, a Mexican online news platform dedicated to the aviation and aerospace industries, Mexico is now the 12th largest exporter worldwide in the aerospace sector.
The same report said Mexico has shot up to sixth among all countries in terms of aerospace exports to the United States.
Óscar Rodríguez Yañez, president of the Bajío Aerospace Cluster, said that aerospace manufacturing accounts for approximately 1.4% of Mexico’s GDP — with exports exceeding US $9.8 billion in 2022.
Claudia Cristina Villaseñor, head of the economic ministry for Guanajuato state, predicted significant growth in Mexico’s aerospace industry, pointing to solid collaborations between “academic institutions and the government.”
Another factor is Mexico’s appeal as a nearshoring hub, with global aerospace companies increasingly interested in establishing or expanding operations in Mexico. The Mexican Federation of the Aerospace Industry (FEMIA) reported that the sector grew by over 18% in 2022 compared to 2021.
With reports from Vox Populi Noticias, El Imparcial and A21
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