Colmena

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The Colmena project is a science and engineering experiment to design and deploy small autonomous robots to explore the surface of the Moon. It was created at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) by the LINX Space Instrumentation Laboratory, at the UNAM Institute of Nuclear Sciences. [1] It is the first Latin American scientific instrument designed to explore the surface of the Moon. [2]

The payload consisted of five small, autonomous robots, [3] each weighing less than 60 grams (2.1 oz) and measuring 12 centimetres (4.7 in) in diameter, which are designed to be catapulted onto the lunar surface. [2] [4] Once the robots are on the surface, they locate each other and collaborate in a swarm to accomplish their science mission (thus the project name, which is Spanish for beehive). [5]

It was launched on 8 January 2024 on the maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket as a co-hosted payload on Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine Mission One to the Moon. [2] However, following a propellant issue with the lander, the mission was aborted and the lander along with Colmena burned up in Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean, with a last reported contact by the Canberra tracking station at 20:59 GMT. [6]

A replica of Colmena, [7] along with models of the other payloads, is integrated into a repurposed test model of Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, [8] as part of the Futures in Space exhibition at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. [9]

References

  1. ↑ "De la UNAM a la Luna: lista ya la Misión COLMENA". Gaceta UNAM (in Spanish). 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  2. 1 2 3 Guillén, Beatriz (2024-01-09). "El sueño espacial mexicano viaja en cinco robots de camino a la Luna" [Mexican space dream travels on five robots on their way to the Moon] (in Spanish). Mexico City: El País . Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  3. ↑ "Technical Description of COLMENA-1". Institute of Nuclear Sciences, UNAM. 2022-05-02.
  4. ↑ "Moon Manifest | Astrobotic Technology". Astrobotic.
  5. ↑ Castro, Geraldine; Miguel, Lucy E. (2024-01-08). "Proyecto Colmena: así son los robots que México envió a la Luna" [Project Beehive: These are the robots that Mexico sent to the Moon]. Wired (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  6. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (2024-01-18). "Peregrine lander: American Moon mission destroyed over Pacific Ocean". BBC . Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  7. ↑ "Tecnología aeroespacial del ICN se exhibe en Estados Unidos". Gaceta UNAM (in Spanish). 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  8. ↑ "This Object Represents a New Approach to Moon Exploration". airandspace.si.edu. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  9. ↑ Feldscher, Jacqueline (2025-07-29). "Smithsonian Opens New 'Futures in Space' Hall". Payload. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
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