Portugal awards first licence to operate spaceport
The Portuguese ASC has been authorised to set up a launch centre on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores.
Portugal has just taken another crucial step towards strengthening its position in the European space sector, with the award of the first licence to operate a space launch centre on national territory. The request was submitted in December 2024 by the Portuguese Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC). The company intends to carry out space access activities from the island of Santa Maria in the Azores.
The licence that has now been awarded is valid for five years and refers exclusively to the operation of the launch centre to be located in Malbusca. It does not cover the launch operations themselves, which require specific licences and assessments.
The issuing of the licence is part of the development of the action axes of the national strategy for space, Portugal Space 2030, which aims to promote Portugal’s capabilities and potential as a European platform for missions of return and access to space, leveraging the strategic geographical position of the Azores archipelago.
“The award of this first licence demonstrates that Portugal is prepared to host launch activities based on a robust and transparent legal framework that is in line with international best practice,” stresses Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency. “The Agency has been promoting Portugal’s Atlantic centrality, through the Azores, at an international level and creating, in liaison with the various public entities, the institutional and technical conditions for the country to play an important role in the new European space economy.”
The Portuguese Space Agency is the entity responsible for promoting and framing the technical and strategic assessment of the request, taking into consideration its competences and in-depth knowledge of the field at both national and international levels, with the government’s prior approval in mind. The process is conducted in close collaboration with the National Space Authority, ANACOM, the entity responsible for issuing the licence.
Following ANACOM’s award of the first licences to launch and command and control space objects in 2024, Portugal has already taken on a relevant position in the space sector.
“ANACOM promotes efficient regulation, fostering the growing dynamism and vitality of the space sector, which represents an important axis of national strategy,” says Sandra Maximiano, President of ANACOM. “ANACOM is therefore committed to having agile licensing procedures that promote innovation and the constant evolution of national space activities,” she stated.
As part of the spaceport licensing procedure, the relevant entities were heard, including the Regional Government of the Azores and the Vila do Porto City Council, both of which gave a positive opinion regarding the installation of the launch centre in Santa Maria. The participation of these entities in the process was particularly important given the location of the infrastructure on the island and the importance of ensuring effective coordination at both local and regional levels.
The possibility for licensing launch centres results from the revision of the national legal framework, defined by Decree-Law no. 16/2019 and updated in 2024 by Decree-Law no. 20/2024 of February 24th. National legislation has created a specific system for these infrastructures, allowing any entity – be it public or private – to request the installation and operation of launch centres, as long as safety requirements are met, and national strategic interests are safeguarded.
The award of the licence to ASC to operate the spaceport in Santa Maria represents a concrete step in the consolidation of space activities from national territory, paving the way for the installation of operational infrastructures in the Azores and the development of new projects based in Portugal.
The licensing process for the specific space operations to be carried out at the spaceport will follow, and it is expected that the first operations, namely suborbital flights promoted by ASC, could take place as early as 2026. At the same time, efforts will continue towards creating the necessary infrastructure for the return of space missions, including Space Rider, the European Space Agency’s reusable vehicle that will have its return location in the Azores.
