![The Santa Maria S-band station in the Azores is a key part of Europe's space infrastructure. It consists of a 5.5-m antenna hard-wired on a stable concrete platform. It is one of the first Estrack stations with launcher tracking capability and is used to receive real-time telemetry from launches originating from ESA's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. [ESA]](/gc8/images/2026/01/21/53542-santa-maria-station-370_237.webp)
The Santa Maria S-band station in the Azores is a key part of Europe's space infrastructure. It consists of a 5.5-m antenna hard-wired on a stable concrete platform. It is one of the first Estrack stations with launcher tracking capability and is used to receive real-time telemetry from launches originating from ESA's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. [ESA] By Stephanie Dwilson |
Portugal is partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) to create a space hub, which is expected to enhance its competitiveness in the space domain and strengthen its position as a strategic Atlantic gateway for space exploration.
The western European nation signed an agreement with the ESA in November during the agency's Ministerial Council Summit in Bremen to develop a space hub on Santa Maria Island in the Azores, an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic.
The hub will serve as a landing site for "Space Rider," Europe’s first reusable orbital vehicle -- currently under development -- and is expected to cement Portugal's role as a significant player in the European space industry.
The agreement marks a long-term commitment by Portugal to establish a permanent site for return-from-space missions -- for Space Rider flights, commercial activities and other experimental missions.
The hub will serve "Portuguese, European, and global actors, driving innovation and economic development in the Azores," the ESA said in a statement.
Designed for short-duration missions in low Earth orbit (LEO), Space Rider will support microgravity research, in-orbit technology testing, and the deployment of small satellites.
Its inaugural mission is scheduled for 2028, launching aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana and landing in the Azores.
"This agreement is key to the next chapter of Space Rider, Europe’s first fully reusable space vehicle," ESA director general Josef Aschbacher said in a statement.
It builds on the success of the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) mission, an experimental space shuttle developed in Italy, Aschbacher said.
"Space Rider will enable Europe to return payloads from LEO competitively, with first launch planned for 2028. Santa Maria will be essential to this capability.”
Increased ESA investment
Portugal has committed 204.8 million EUR ($238.1 million) to ESA programs over the next five years -- a 50% increase over its previous contribution that signals a shift toward deeper engagement in European space initiatives.
This investment is intended to strengthen national industry, support research and development, and improve competitiveness across space technologies, including launch services, Earth observation, and space transportation systems.
Portugal's commitment includes a 15 million EUR ($) investment dedicated to the development of landing and post-landing processing infrastructure on Santa Maria.
These capabilities will be integrated into the island’s existing Space Technology Center, consolidating Portugal’s role in end-to-end access and return space missions.
A feasibility study completed in 2024 confirmed Santa Maria’s technical and geographical suitability as a landing site, citing its Atlantic location, favorable weather conditions, and controlled air and maritime space.
The study cleared the way for design and construction phases, marking a transition from exploratory ambition to operational commitment.
Portugal's space strategy
The hub aligns with Portugal’s broader space strategy, which emphasizes downstream economic impact, industrial development, and talent attraction.
It is expected to encourage more foreign companies to work within Portugal's supply chains, enhancing its competitiveness within the space domain.
Portugal already boasts 87 companies and 46 research centers active within its space ecosystem. Its space advancements in recent years include plans to develop eight small satellites as part of the joint Spain-Portugal Atlantic Constellation and support natural disaster mitigation efforts.
It also is supporting the ESA’s Lagrange 5 space-weather mission, and is developing mini and micro-satellite platforms to operate over the Atlantic basin.
Portugal was the 15th nation to join the ESA, and has been a member for 25 years. On January 11, Portugal became the 60th country to sign the Artemis Accords, pledging its commitment to peaceful space exploration and use.
"As a committed NATO ally, Portugal is a key US partner," the US State Department said in a statement. "Portugal’s signing of the Accords extends that close partnership into outer space."
The United States and seven other countries established the Artemis Accords in 2020 to serve as a set of practical principles to guide responsible space exploration.
Sarah Cope contributed to this report.