This Friday, January 20, the Portuguese Space Agency launched a tender for the operation of a 15-meter antenna dedicated to the command and control of satellites, installed in the Teleport on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores Archipelago.
Interested parties should guarantee the commercial exploitation of the antenna with the aim of empowering the national space ecosystem, promoting the development of space sciences and technologies and the promotion of innovation and scientific employment, namely on the island of Santa Maria, thus contributing to leverage the spatial ecosystem of Santa Maria.
This high-performance 15-meter antenna is intended for control and command of satellites and space missions in the S-band and X-band, with performance similar to the European Space Agency’s 15-meter ESTRACK ground stations, and capable of missions outside Earth orbit.
Find more information here: https://ptspace.pt/portuguese-space-agency-launches-tender-for-satellite-command-and-control-operation-in-santa-maria/
17/01/2023: Very important day for the future of the space sector in the Azores, Portugal and Europe! The formalization of the Space Technological Center was carried out with the visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, who launched the Space Technological Center of Santa Maria together with the President of the Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, the Mayor of Vila do Porto, Bárbara Chaves, and the President of the Portuguese Space Agency, Ricardo Conde. The agency’s Director, Hugo Costa, the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency, Pedro Faria e Castro, and the coordinator of the Azores Mission Structure for Space, Paulo Quental, were also present during the visit.
The new center aims to promote the development of technological capabilities in the space sector, in Portugal, with the creation of space access and return capabilities. The new infrastructure will create synergies and reinforce the attractiveness conditions for new companies and new services, aiming at creating jobs and strengthening the Space Ecosystem of the Azores.
The program included, in addition to the visit to the site where the CTE will be born (included the signing of the deed for the transfer of land to the Portuguese Space Agency by the Municipality of Vila do Porto), visits to the Santa Maria Teleport (announcement of the extension of the agreement with ESA for the maintenance of the tracking station and reception of satellite data, and investment of 4M€ in infrastructure), to the Oceanic Control Center of NAV and to RAEGE – Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations.
Within the scope of the Autonomic Forum that took place on December 18, 2022 in Vila do Porto, Santa Maria island, the Azores Strategy for Space was presented in its final version after public consultation. On the occasion, the new graphic identity SPACEAZORES was presented, which intends to emphasize the presence of the Region in the international space sector.
Last December, fifteen teachers from seven islands in the Azores participated in the CanSat Júnior Azores Workshop, which marks the start of this project in the Region. The training took place at the facilities of OASA – Astronomical Observatory of Santana, Azores and was carried out by ESERO-Portugal/Ciência Viva, within the scope of a partnership between this institution and the Government of the Azores through the Office of the Regional Undersecretary for the Presidency and EMA -Space. CanSat Júnior Azores is one of the actions included in the Azores Strategy for Space – Dissemination, Education and Scientific Culture for Space.