Mexico's Colmena Project Advances Moon Exploration with Robots

The Colmena project is poised to achieve a historic milestone, putting Mexico and Latin America on the lunar map. Developed by the Institute of Nuclear Sciences (ICN) at UNAM in collaboration with a team of 250 university students, these five micro robots represent the technological forefront and are set to venture into space.

Weighing less than 60 grams and measuring 12 centimeters in diameter, these tiny explorers are equipped with advanced technology, including metallic coatings, wheels, a motor, onboard computer, and specialized sensors. Their mission is clear: to land at Sinus Viscositatis on the Moon and study the lunar exosphere and its thermal properties.

The collaboration between entities such as AEM, CONACYT, the Government of Hidalgo State, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has played a crucial role in supporting this mission, which is part of NASA's Artemis program, an initiative that Mexico has joined.

The launch is scheduled for the first week of May 2024, with an estimated duration of 10 to 15 days on the Moon. Astrobotic's Peregrine spacecraft will transport these robots, and ULA's Vulcan-Centauro rocket is tasked with lifting them off Earth on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 at 1:49 am.

Gustavo Medina, from the LINX laboratory responsible for the project, expressed that this lunar journey is a significant achievement for Mexico and Latin America in the era of space exploration. 

“COLMENA is about to embark on its journey to the Moon aboard Astrobotics' Peregrine spacecraft, lifted off Earth's surface by ULA's Vulcan-Centauro rocket. It will be a Christmas filled with anticipation: a journey to the Moon is one of the most complex feats we can achieve as a technological civilization, and LINX-ICN and UNAM are doing it from Mexico and for Latin America”, Medina said.

Update: 

Gustavo Medina, through a Facebook post, informs the public about a possible delay due to the ULA's Vulcan-Centauro rocket. They conducted a "Wet Dress Rehearsal" (WDR) where the rocket, without its payload, undergoes a simulated launch process, loaded with cryogenic fuel until seconds before launch, when the test is halted. This validates the rocket and ground systems, including fueling, pressurization, ground control, avionics, etc. There were some non-critical issues that delayed the test, requiring a re-run. This delay might postpone the Peregrin and Colmena launch to January 8th. Further confirmation is pending. The next Peregrine window is on January 8th.