Manager:
Oscar Ojeda is a mechanical engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He is currently the National Point of Contact for the Space Generation Advisory Council for Colombia. During his studies he founded and coordinated the Aerospace Research and Development Group of his university, where he has led projects in rocketry, space policy, and currently is working in space exploration, with the Cóndor Space Suit Simulator, and an analogue greenhouse for crop production. Recently he participated of a Research internship at Purdue University, where he developed a wheel to be used in rovers, as well as 3D printers of cementitious materials. Oscar is passionate about human exploration of outer space, and in particular of planet Mars, his current field of work is on human systems and performance, robotic systems, and analogue research. In 2018 he was part of the analogue mission to Mars, Latam-II, at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, United States. In January 2019, he will participate at MDRS as Commander with the first Colombian crew.
Co-manager:
Tania Robles is a mechanical engineering senior student specialized in mechanical design at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. From 2013, she has worked as volunteer for astronomical and science groups in science outreach. She has worked as science journalist at the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology, specializing in space science and technology, working hand in hand with the Mexican Space Agency. She is cofounder and former Director of the Aerospace Association of the Faculty of Engineering of her university. Since 2016, she is National Contact Point from México at Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). She has been awarded by the Thematic Network of Space Science and Technology in Mexico to be part of the International Summer Space School at Samara University in Russia; and for the International Space University to attend to the Southern Hemisphere Space Studies at the University of South Australia in Adelaide, Australia. In 2018 was part of the analogue mission to Mars, Latam-II, at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, United States. In December 2018, she will participate at MDRS as Commander with the first Mexican crew. In 2017 she was recognized by the Mexican Space Agency as a young talent in the Mexican space sector and by SGAC with the Space Generation Leadership Award 2018.
Communication Team:
Roberto Adolfo Ubidia is a biologist and master student of molecular biology focused in astrobiology and bioastronautics. He is also one of the National Points of Contact of SGAC in Peru and the Executive Director of the peruvian chapter of The Mars Society. His principal interest resides in the research of the adaptations of bacteria to extra terrestrial environments, both for its use in space agriculture and for the prevention of sickness driven by disease-causing bacteria on astronauts. He was one of the finalists of the contest “Lab2Moon” held by Team Indus, with the project Luni Ψ which aimed to study the effects on the growth rates and biofilm production of disease-bacteria under the gravity of the Moon. He has participated in different formative space programs as Mars Society’s MDRS analog mission program, ISU’s SSP17 and the School of Astrobiology held by the Mexican Society of Astrobiology.
Sergio Andrés Sánchez Sanjuán is an electronic engineer graduated with honours and with a strong background in space technology. He is currently working as a lecturer at the School of Exact Sciences and Engineering of Sergio Arboleda University and as a researcher developing the electrical power supply for the satellite mission “Libertad-2” due to a scholarship granted by the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia (COLCIENCIAS). His work is focused on the analysis and modelling of the harvested, stored and consumed power of a Cubesat for different orbital scenarios. Furthermore, he is a science communicator for the Astronomical Observatory Department in the same University in the promotion of science-related activities for general public. During his career, he has written several papers for international conferences and journals, and also a book with research finding about the efficient use of the energy for small satellites. Finally, Sergio is an IEEE and MENSA member.
Delegates Team:
Liza María Forero is a professional in geology, graduated from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She has worked in several topics in research related to planetary geology like cryovolcanism, astronomical spectroscopy, sedimentary conditions in mars, hydrothermalism and characterization of possible impact craters in Boyacá, Colombia. She is member of the research group GCPA (Planetary Science and Astrobiology Group) where with her partners’ work and study the geologic view of the solar system. She is currently working in CONANDINO, road consortium in the part of tunnels cartography, geological mapping and geological and geotechnical characterization. She has experience in analysis and interpretation of remote sensing data as well as the processing of images of high resolution.
Atila Meszaros is an undergraduate biology Peruvian student at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia. His main focus is Evolution and Extreme Environments specifically on Astrobiology. He’s one of the National Points of Contact of SGAC in Peru and current member of the Peruvian Association of Astrobiology. Recently, he became one of the sciences redactors at Actual Voice, a Peruvian online magazine. He spent the winter of 2018 working as the first Intern of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). Furthermore, he has been in different roles as a crewmember of MDRS crews and he’s aiming to go back at MDRS during the winter of 2019 to keep learning about Mars analog sciences and logistics.
Heylen Polo Cano is Mechanical Engineer from Universidad del Atlántico, Colombia and is an student for the Master in Space Engineering in the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany. Since 2014 Heylen worked in different mining projects in Colombia and now like master student, is part of the team of Planetary Exploration & Space Robotics where is the responsible for the Planning & Operation of a Rover Scout Mission inside Lava tubes.
Program Team:
Gonzalo Cucho-Padin is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. Gonzalo also holds a Master’s Degree of Computer Science by the University of Central Florida, USA. Furthermore, he received his Electrical Engineering degree (B.S.) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Peru. His experience span areas as diverse as remote sensing, signal processing and inverse problems. He worked at the International Potato Center, Peru, where implemented low-cost remote sensing technology (drone-based) as well as developed open-source software for image processing for agricultural purposes. He attended the Ecole Polytechnique of Paris, France for an internship where he conducted research in remote sensing spectrometry. His current research aims to develop novel techniques to estimate exospheric hydrogen derived from UV emission data acquired by satellites.
Hermes Hernan Bolivar Torres is a biologist from Colombia. He studied at Universidad Nacional de Colombia and finished his career in 2017. Hermes has worked with the planetary science and astrobiology group from his university since 2013. His field of research has been the study of extreme environments, specially the ecological relationship of extremophiles microorganisms with this kind of environments and the future applications in biotechnology and space exploration.
Logistics Team:
María Camila Villegas Jiménez was born in Medellin, Colombia, she is an aeronautical administrator from the Escuela Militar de Aviación in Cali, Colombia and she is part of the Colombian Air Force since 2013. Currently works as a space applications specialist at the Space Affairs Office providing administrative assistance in the space sector. She works mainly in the management of the Colombian space development according to nation’s goals, supporting the invention of laws, doctrine and methods to boost space segment.
Camilo Zorro is a mechanical engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and he is a mechatronics engineering student in the same university. Also, he was a speaker at Cordoba, Argentina at the 9th Argentine Congress of Space Technology. Furthermore, his work is focused in the development of Space Suit Simulators and CFD analysis in the same field and he was designer of the CONDOR Space Suit Simulator, the first space suit simulator developed in Colombia. Also, he is one of the backup designated for the first Colombian Analog mission which will take place in the MDRS Station in 2019.
Omar Andrés López is an Electronic Engineering student rsity. Omar was speaker at the 9th Argentine Congress of Space Technology, held in Cordoba. His main interests are remote data sampling, wireless communications and rovers.
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Local Organizing Committee:
David Mateus is Mechatronics engineer and currently he is studying a master in systems and computational engineering at Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He is member of the Aerospace Development and Research Group of the National University where he is involved in projects related with satellites and space trip. Also, he is co-founder of a recycling company named FAHYSA SAS where he has developed the function of projects engineer. The summer of 2016, he participated in the Samara Summer Space School “Advanced technologies for nanosatellite´s experiments in space”, he was the Greenhab officer of the crew 187 in the MDRS, and he has been selected as the Executive officer of the next crew 205. He will participated in the International Graduate Summer School in Astronautics and Aeronautics that in going to be held in Beihang University on July of this year.
Jhon Alexander Gil is a physiotherapist and currently is studying his masters degrees in human physiology at Universidad Nacional de Colombia and pedagogy at La Sabana University. He is member of the basic science team and head of physiology department at nurse and rehabilitation college at La Sabana university. He was speaker at the 10th IAA Symposium on the Future of Space Exploration Towards Space Village and Beyond held in Turin, Italy. His research work has been related with human physiological responses in extreme environments and neurophysiology rehabilitation in microgravity.
Julieth Carolina Castañeda Díaz is a Mechanical Engineering student at the National University of Colombia. She is an active member of the Aerospace Development and Research Group of the National University since 2016, where she is involved in projects regarding propulsion and rocket engines. Her main research interests are liquid fuel engines and manufacturing process in the aerospace industry.
