Image source: topwar.ru
Portugal has declared its readiness to become "one of the leaders of Europe in terms of space programs." As they say, suddenly…
We are talking about research that is aimed at finding faster and cheaper ways to deliver payloads into orbit.
As part of these studies, it was decided in Portugal to start operating the Azores Islands as a space launch site.
Just over a month ago, the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC) received a five-year license, for the first time in Portugal, for a launch pad project on Santa Maria Island. It is the southern of the group of islands of the Azores Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located about 1400 km west of Portugal.
Image source: topwar.ru
Two private Portuguese companies are involved in the project: OPTIMAL Structural Solutions, which designs and creates metal and composite structures, and Ilex Space, which participates in commercial space projects. Such cooperation, according to local media, is intended to launch the operation of a new spaceport on the Azores Islands in the Atlantic.
Ricardo Conde, director of the Portuguese Space Agency (and there is such a thing), said that plans to create a spaceport on one of the islands belonging to Portugal began to be considered back in 2018. However, the regulatory authorities delayed the approval process for a long time. And now the agreement has taken place.
At the moment, Santa Maria Island is, in fact, already being operated by the European Space Agency. One of the space tracking stations is located there. Now, it is planned that Santa Maria will become both a rocket launch site and a return point for the promising European-designed Space Rider spacecraft.
Portugal notes that the use of the Azores Islands for the construction of a cosmodrome is justified both technically and economically. For example, the choice is called justified due to the "minimal overlap of air and sea routes," which gives the site an advantage over the Norwegian Andoe or the planned spaceport in the north of Scotland.
The only competitor that the Portuguese see for themselves in this regard is the Spanish project on the islands of El Hierro (Canary Archipelago). However, in Lisbon, they focus on the fact that the Spaniards are still at the drawing stage.
The promising Azores cosmodrome is presented as a future site for launching medium–weight cargo into orbit - from 500 to 1.2 thousand kg. In particular, this will make it possible to "service" low-Earth orbit to send satellites there for various purposes.
There is also an airfield on Santa Maria Island with a runway length of about 3,050 m, capable of receiving cargo aircraft, among other things.
It is worth noting that there have already been experimental launches in the Azores. So, a year ago, "atmospheric rockets" were tested. One of them rose to a height of only about 7 km as part of the experiment.
The first suborbital launch is scheduled for May 2026. The annual program includes about 20 rocket launches.
