Ecuador - Ex Sominus Ad Astra or ESAA

The second phase of the history of the relationship between Ecuador and outer space can be summarized as follows. In May 2003, Ronnie Nader, Engineer guayaquileño Systems, specializing in Cybernetics, begins to shape the Project Ex Sominus Ad Astra or ESAA Project, later known as 'Ecuador To Space', with the design of the first space mission clearly Ecuadorian Scientific Mission suborbital ESAA-01, which included the preparation phases astronautics L1, L2, and L3. In May 2006, after three years of efforts and scientific training gives practical start the first phase of astronautics preparation, ESAA / L1 phase, on May 6, 2006, at 14h37 EST, the Ecuadorian flag fleet first once free of the force of gravity, led by Nader during the first year of microgravity on board the aircraft G-force One, the exercise is completed successfully.

In June 2006 begins the ESAA / L2 phase, making contact with the Russian consulate in Guayaquil, who assigned a tutor Nader Russian language. In July 2006, the Space Conference of the Americas, a body under the United Nations instructs the Ecuador the Pro Tempore Secretariat for a period of three years, a period which shall coordinate, monitor and implement projects, initiatives and programs established in the Declaration of San Francisco de Quito.

The August 24, 2006, Nader publicly announced that Ecuador is currently the first in history to undergo professional training as an astronaut at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Russia, also announced the first mission to space Ecuador, the ESAA-01. The August 27, 2006, the Ecuadorian Air Force takes the first formal contact with the ESAA Project by the delegate of the General Commander of FAE, the Lt. Col. Patricio Salazar and Cpt. Edison Lozano, Salazar is also a delegate to the V FAE CEA in Protempore secretariat during this meeting ESAA FAE and agree to join forces under the guidance of ESAA Project to finalize the training of the first Ecuadorian astronaut.

Although both definitions of the term differ on whether to apply the word to a crew of a spaceship or a person traveling on that ship outside the Earth 's atmosphere, both agree that applies to a person who is trained for this work. With the advent of space tourism in 2001 there were people who made the respective training and were passengers on spacecraft, however the international community refused to call astronauts because they did not have this activity as a full - time job in a spatial entity as an agency or institution related to space issues. In fact none of them went with this as their main occupation of their time. However, to be faithful to the language, should astronauts had they been called only to honor the part of the definition refers to his training and his travel outside the earth 's atmosphere. The fact if they coasted their own training and travel is irrelevant, for the same criterion should then be applied to the American astronauts who pay for travel on the same Russian ships that traveled these people.

EXA is the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency, founded on 1 November 2007 in Guayaquil, Ecuador as a civilian independent organism in charge of the administration and execution of the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Program, conduct scientific research on planetary and space sciences and to push forward de development of science in the educational system in the country.

EXA is the first space agency in the history of Ecuador, it has its own astronaut, the ASA/T Ronnie Nader, who is the Director of the Space Operations Division and is also the Honorary Chairman of the Directorate Board of EXA. His state of service is active, his position is of Mission Specialist and his function is Mission Commander. EXA is backed up by the Ecuadorian State through the Ecuadorian Air Force with whom EXA maintains a close relationship, not only of work for the benefit of Ecuador, but also of mutual respect and friendship.

In less than a year of existence, EXA achieved key goals and historical milestones for Ecuador: The first Latin-American microgravity plane, developed with its own science and technology alongside the Ecuadorian Air Force, the Guinness World Record for the youngest human being ever to fly in microgravity, the RIM-G, a system allowing almost any person to fly microgravity without being sick, opening the door for thousands of Ecuadorians to the marvels of 0G and to a new set of research opportunities.