The Mexican Space Agency (Agencia Espacial Mexicana, AEM) signed an agreement with the US company Astrobotic Technology to promote the development and delivery of Mexico’s first payload to the Moon.

Prerequisites:

• Institutional & political interest and support for human spaceflight 

• Partnerships with space agency or commercial provider with access to space exploration mission

• Existence of technological capabilities and infrastructure in national ecosystem (space agency, industry or academia) to develop payload

• Lead agency & budget

• Procurement pathway

• Partner support as needed

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 1M–10M

• Includes: design and development of small-scale payload (sensor, experiment, cultural/educational payload), testing and integration with host lander/mission, basic operations and data sharing, international partnership coordination

Timeframe:

• Overall: 24–48 mo

• Phases: scoping/partnership negotiation (6–9 mo) → design/procurement (9–15 mo) → integration/testing (6–12 mo) → operations/data use (6–12 mo)

Pros:

• Reduces Government Costs - Using commercial technologies and funding helps lower public spending

• Accelerates Capability Development - Business partnerships can speed up the development of human spaceflight systems through private-sector innovation and expertise.

Considerations:

• Reduced Public Control - Private sector priorities may not fully align with national goals, affecting mission direction

• Complex Agreements - Partnerships may involve difficult negotiations over IP rights, regulations, and liability