{"id":15852,"date":"2025-10-20T14:56:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T19:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaelmuller.pro\/2025\/10\/ecuador-in-orbit-a-nation-under-construction-towards-the-new-space-economy\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:02:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T18:02:30","slug":"ecuador-in-orbit-a-nation-under-construction-towards-the-new-space-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelmuller.pro\/en\/2025\/10\/ecuador-in-orbit-a-nation-under-construction-towards-the-new-space-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecuador in orbit: a nation under construction towards the new space economy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From academic leadership to national vision: how to turn location, talent and international cooperation into sustainable space policy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

I recently completed the Global Space Leadership \u2013 Business & Policy Program<\/strong> at Thunderbird School of Global Management<\/a> . It wasn’t just another course, but the academic foundation to understand and take the next step toward a shared dream: building a solid, conscious space culture in Ecuador, geared toward national development. <\/p>\n\n

To achieve this, tools and speeches are not enough. What is needed is a committed community with a strategic vision and the conviction that our country has the conditions to be an active participant in this new global economy. <\/p>\n\n

During the program, we addressed topics such as The Emerging Role of Latin America in Space, The Global Space Economy: Trends, Players, and Growth Sectors, Satellite Technologies & Earth Observation for National Development, and Business Models for the New Space Economy<\/strong>, among others.<\/p>\n\n

This program\u2014inspired by Arizona State University ‘s<\/a> international certificate in Space Leadership, Business & Policy<\/strong> \u2014was specially adapted for Latin America. Because space is no longer the future: today it is a strategic opportunity for science, business, and human development. <\/p>\n\n

Ecuador in the face of the new space economy<\/h2>\n\n

“Space technologies can address many of the world’s most pressing business and societal challenges. This report from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company<\/a> shows that reducing costs and improving access to space technologies could boost the global space economy<\/strong> to $1.8 trillion by 2035, up from $630 billion in 2023.”<\/p>\n\n

Ecuador has unique comparative advantages to do it intelligently and cooperatively.<\/p>\n\n

However, to move from aspiration to leadership, institutionality, talent, vision, and continuity are needed.<\/p>\n\n

The Ecuadorian Space Institute: a precedent and a lesson<\/h2>\n\n

In 2012, through Executive Decree No. 1040, the Government of Ecuador created the Ecuadorian Space Institute (IEE), under the coordination of the Ministry of National Defense. Its objective was to develop scientific capabilities, manage satellite information, and represent the country in international space cooperation forums.<\/p>\n\n

The IEE promoted projects in remote sensing, environmental monitoring, mapping, and surveillance of the national territory, collaborating with institutions such as the Military Geographic Institute and the Oceanographic Institute of the Navy. Its approach combined defense, science, and development, setting a precedent for spatial governance in Ecuador. <\/p>\n\n

However, in 2019, the Institute was dissolved as part of a public sector streamlining process<\/strong>. This measure left the country without a formal governing body for space policy and exposed a structural problem: without stable institutions, a long-term vision, and a sustained budget, space policy becomes diluted through isolated efforts. <\/p>\n\n

Today, following the signing of the Artemis Accords<\/strong>, the need to create a new national space agency or entity that unifies efforts, promotes scientific cooperation, and maintains continuity of state is evident.<\/p>\n\n

The Artemis Accords: Ecuador joins global exploration<\/h2>\n\n

On June 21, 2023, Ecuador became the 26th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a set of principles championed by NASA<\/strong> and the U.S. State Department<\/strong> that establish standards for the peaceful, sustainable, and cooperative exploration of space.<\/p>\n\n

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Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Gustavo Manrique Miranda, signed the Artemis Accords on June 21, 2023, at the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington. Credit: NASA\/Keegan Barber <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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Ecuador’s accession was highlighted by NASA as a “historic” step that strengthens international cooperation in the new era of lunar exploration and beyond.<\/p>\n\n

This agreement does not imply an immediate financial commitment, but it does open key doors:<\/p>\n\n

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  • Access to international networks of space knowledge and innovation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Diplomatic and scientific legitimacy in multilateral forums.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Academic and technological collaborations with foreign agencies and universities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Possibility of foreign investment in satellite services, observation and data analysis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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