PROMOTION OF AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY IN BOLIVIA

Abstract

International audienceThe development of the aerospace industry brings a lot of technology for people to use in everyday life. In issues of satellite technology, Bolivia is developing its expertise in the area, with the creation of the Bolivian Space Agency (ABE), with the launch of its first telecommunications satellite Túpac Katari (TKSat), with the training of Bolivian professionals and the creation of two ground stations. Also, the Bolivian Space Agency announced the country's willingness to purchase a remote sensing satellite in the near future. But Bolivia must move from being a country dependent on others, to being a country applying the learned theory, a country with capacity to do research activities and to be able to develop its own technology, because it has the human resource to meet this challenge. It has been observed in recent years that the nano-satellite technology in South America has been having a remarkable growth, beginning in 2007 when Colombia launched the first nano-satellite called Libertad I; continuing with this technological raid, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Peru also launched their nano-satellites. Taking this into account, it is necessary to promote and develop aerospace technology in students, professionals and the general public of Bolivia. The military School of Engineering with help of the students has organized the First Bolivian Congress in Aerospace Technology – ABC (Aerospace Bolivian Conference). Also the development of a nano-satellite is proposed to acquire knowledge on this issue and especially so that Bolivia can acquire its own access to space