Space so close to Earth: new catalogue brings together analogue missions and sites in Portugal
The Portuguese Space Agency is launching a catalogue of sites and facilities in Portugal which, due to their similar characteristics to space and other celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars, make it possible to carry out space research activities.
The Capelinhos Volcano or Barreiro da Faneca, in the Azores Archipelago, the ancient Roman mines in Valongo, in the northern region, and Ilha Selvagem Grande, in the Madeira Archipelago, are some of the sites that, due to their characteristics, resemble the environmental, geological or biological conditions of other planets or moons, and can be used in space research and exploration, given their potential for carrying out similar activities. These are also some of the sites identified in the Catalogue of Analogue Space Sites and Infrastructures in Portugal, now available from the Portuguese Space Agency and the result of collaboration with the national community.
Essential for research projects linked to space exploration, analogue sites and infrastructures replicate certain characteristics of the environments and challenges of space missions, and are therefore useful for testing new technologies, carrying out scientific experiments or even training astronauts.
