Antares Aerospace: Building the Future of Space in Mexico

Q: What is Antares Aerospace's background?

A: Antares Aerospace was founded in 2016, when the team attended the International Aeronautical Congress in Mexico. As students, we were inspired to pursue opportunities in the field of astronautics and space development, which we first saw as a distant goal for Latin America. Over the years, we have made progress by participating in competitions with NASA and working on projects like the use of satellites and suborbital rocketry.

Q: What are the main challenges of operating in the aerospace industry in Mexico?

A: One challenge is building credibility, as there is a lack of know-how and references in the industry. Another challenge is securing funding, as investment in high-risk industries like aerospace is limited in Mexico. Finally, there is a lack of human capital and development in the aerospace R&D sector, compared to aerospace manufacturing and other sectors.

Q: Who are the main clients of your suborbital rocketry division and who are Antares’ target customers?

A: Suborbital rocketry is a type of rocket technology that reaches a height between 50km and 180km. This altitude is between the limit point of a stratospheric balloon and the height at which satellites orbit. The goal is to use these rockets to obtain data for the geospatial industry, which uses data from drones, stratospheric balloons and satellites to study various aspects of the Earth, such as human trace growth, forests, lakes and pollution, other possible clients are the persons that are developing tech in the aerospace sectors that want to validate their products or science researchers.

Antares targets the public sector and the geospatial industry. We aim to offer value to these customers by developing new applications and satellite platforms that can be used by end users and the government.

Q: What is the composition of Antares' work team?

A: Antares has a team of 20 core members and a total of 100 members. The team is diverse and includes experts in areas like chemical engineering, industrial engineering, aircraft design, electronic engineering, and telecommunications. This diversity allows Antares to work on a wide range of projects and bring a broad range of skills to the table.

Q: What partnerships or collaborations has Antares done and what kinds of partnerships would you like to do in the future?

A: Antares has worked with companies in Australia, the EU and the US. Our current advanced project is the Pacific Joint Space Facilities, which will be the Pacific region's most significant space port. In Mexico, we have close ties with public institutions and science and technology councils and a wide catalog in collaboration with the private sector and NPO’s organizations. We aim to continue building relationships with these types of organizations.

Q: How does Antares collaborate with educational institutions to address the shortage of aerospace talent?

A: Antares is at same time a civil association (NPO) that focuses on promoting young talent in the aerospace industry. We also participate in rocketry projects with students to stay close to the education sector and help build the industry.

Q: What are Antares Aerospace's main goals for 2023?

A: Antares has consolidated its team, obtained resources and made progress in breaking development paradigms in our aerospace program. The goal for 2023 is to continue making progress in the industry with a united effort.

Antares is an aerospace engineering and design group focused on propulsion, structures and general aerospace tech. The company is developing a program for sounding rockets and micro launching services for Latin America.