CONAI, NASA and how Argentina is projected onto the stars – La Brújula 24

Por Juan Tucat, redacción La Brújula 24
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A little less than a month ago there was a visit –followed by an advertisement– which caused a sensation in Argentina. Especially among enthusiasts who tend to look with amazement at the progress humanity has made in pursuit of the conquest of space.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was in the country no more and held a series of meetings at the Casa Rosada. There he was received by President Alberto Fernandez to promote joint peaceful space activity with the United States and formalize Argentina’s commitment to the Artemisa Accords.

As mentioned compass 24, Fernandez was accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Santiago Cafiero, and Science, Technology and Innovation, Daniel Filmos, who signed the agreement between NASA and the National Committee for Space Activities (CONAE) for cooperation in civil exploration. and the peaceful use of the Moon, Mars, and other astronomical bodies.

In addition, Nelson personally visited CONAE’s Teofilo Tabanera Space Center (CETT) in Valda de Caete, Córdoba. “In the future, we will see an Argentine travel to the International Space Station,” he said, amazed at the quality of the national work.

A formidable statement for an area not yet “explored” in the domestic imagination.

The International Space Station is a standard space station located in low-Earth orbit and traveling at over 27,000 km/h.

Argentine NASA

The National Committee for Space Activities (Conae) is the government agency responsible for the National Space Plan. It began its work in 1991, replacing the National Committee for Aerospace Research (CNIE), which dates back to 1960, and made great achievements in the 1960s and 1970s.

It is the body responsible for understanding, designing, implementing, monitoring, managing and managing space projects, activities and projects at the national level.

CONAI owns information generated by satellites built and designed in Argentina, including the Scientific Applications Satellite (SAC) series. In collaboration with INVAP of Bariloche (state company) and mainly associated with the US Agency, it provides the satellite platform and most of the satellite equipment, which is controlled from the Córdoba Earth Station. More than 80 national universities, authorities, organizations and companies participate in the projects and activities of this spatial plan.

CONAE Technology Liaison Director Marcelo Collazo, also an astronomer, conducts radio astronomy research and coordinates the scientific use of deep space antennas installed in Argentina, spoke with the program team “It’s not too late” And I left a lot of fabric to cut.

Firstly, the professional explained that at the international level “we have been implementing this since the first version in 1996, when through various agreements we were able to create our own space missions, develop a whole system of ground stations to download data and control our satellites, we have institutes to train people, And now we’re closing the circle with the Tronador launch project, what that means, because there aren’t a lot of countries that can do that.

On the importance of the agreement with NASA, he pointed out that it is “in fact a legal framework, a set of rules for coexistence to carry out cooperation in the exploration of the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies, this is not implied.” specific action. It was signed by 28 countries, and stipulates certain principles that must be governed, such as the peaceful use of outer space, transparency in procedures related to the delivery of information, cooperation in emergency situations, the dissemination of scientific data, and the use of resources. And so on and so on.

When asked about the personal impact of Bill Nelson’s visit, Collazo said: “It is to highlight the time he devoted to it, he spent several days, first in Buenos Aires, and later also at the Cordoba Space Center. They were pleasantly surprised by the progress Argentina had made in space affairs. “.

Likewise, the specialist said: “We are at a very good scientific and technical level. And a sample of it is the SAC-D/Aquarius mission that we had in orbit a few years ago, which was a collaboration with the United States and other countries, where NASA put an instrument worth more than 100 million dollars on an Argentinian platform, which allowed to measure the salinity of the sea globally.”

“This was a sign of confidence in Argentina’s ability to carry out such a mission,” the scientist proudly added.

Full Memo of Marcelo Collazo Live at Nunca es Tarde, Posted by Bahia Huy: