ESA has chosen Santa Maria to receive Space Rider’s maiden flight

The flight director of the European Space Agency (ESA), Stefano Bianchi, confirmed this Thursday, November 7th, that the Azorean island of Santa Maria will be the landing site for Space Rider’s maiden flight. ESA’s new reusable orbital vehicle, scheduled for launch in 2027, will be a platform for scientific tests and trials in orbit, with the capacity to return and be reused.

The announcement was made as part of the inauguration of the Portuguese Space Agency’s headquarters in Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria, at a ceremony attended by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Stefano Bianchi believes that “the Santa Maria hub for return and access to space will play a fundamental role” for Europe’s future in space: “Creating the conditions for frequent, flexible and sustainable launches of small satellites and having a safe return [point] is crucial for Europe’s strategic future in space and will play a key role in that strategy.” “ESA will support the Portuguese Space Agency, and we are working together to ensure that Space Rider lands in the Azores in 2027,” ESA’s flight director assures.

Space Rider, currently in the testing and validation phase, will provide Europe with an orbital vehicle capable of conducting experiments in a microgravity environment and ensuring its return. This vehicle, which will remain in space for around two months after launch, could be used commercially, which will enable European industry to open up new markets. The choice of Santa Maria as the landing site emphasises the importance of the Azores in the future of European space infrastructure.

“The choice of Santa Maria as the landing site emphasises the importance of the Azores in the future European space scenario,” highlighted Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency, recalling that Portugal has come a long way, taking the necessary steps to implement the future Santa Maria’s Space Technology Centre. The Agency is thus opening up a new opportunity in the field of experimentation and operation of space missions, which is the aim of the creation of a space return and access hub in Santa Maria. This multifunctional hub will be equipped with infrastructure to support the research activities and scientific experiments conducted by Space Rider, as well as other orbital vehicle re-entry missions.

On Space Rider’s maiden flight, an experiment from the University of Coimbra’s Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics (LIP) will be embarked, a project promoted and supported by the Portuguese Space Agency.  In addition, the Portuguese industry is also involved in the development of the Space Rider vehicle.

Rodrigo da Costa, executive director of EUSPA (European Union Agency for the Space Programme), also believes that “Portugal plays a crucial role in the implementation of the European Union Space Programme.” Rodrigo da Costa recalls that the country is a “strategic host of several ground stations that are essential for the implementation of Galileo and EGNOS” and that “Portuguese companies are actively involved in the development of elements of satellites and ground systems and applications that use components from the European Union Space Programme.”

The Agency inaugurates its headquarters in Santa Maria

EUSPA’s executive director was present at the panel discussion on The Azores and the challenges of the Space Sector, which was part of the programme for the inauguration of the headquarters of the Portuguese Space Agency, also attended by Stefano Bianchi and Ricardo Conde.

The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Presidents of the Regional Legislative Assembly and the Regional Government of the Azores, Luís Garcia and José Manuel Bolieiro, respectively, and the Secretary of State for Science, Ana Paiva.

A highlight of the Portuguese Space Agency’s 5th anniversary celebrations, the inauguration ceremony included speeches by Fernando Carvalho Rodrigues, responsible for the first Portuguese satellite to be launched into space, PoSAT-1, and philosopher Onésimo de Almeida. In the afternoon, the headquarters were also the stage for a roundtable on educational projects promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency, with the participation of several young students from the Azores archipelago.

“The inauguration of the headquarters of the Portuguese Space Agency in Santa Maria reflects our commitment to the Azores. The Agency’s mission is to help build the future of the Portuguese space sector. In Santa Maria, taking advantage of its privileged position in the region, we want to help develop a space ecosystem from a global perspective, creating opportunities for the new generations who are here today to settle,” said Ricardo Conde.

The headquarters of the Portuguese Space Agency are located in a building dating back to the 1950s and designed by Francisco Keil do Amaral.

In 2019, the building was restored by the Regional Government of the Azores, undergoing extensive refurbishment work, maintaining its historical features and memory, and made available to the Portuguese Space Agency to house its headquarters.