The satellite factory in Alverca is expected to be completed by the end of June, with production scheduled to begin later this year.

The satellites are planned under the European SAFE loan program. The Air Force is also negotiating the purchase of land for a rocket launch project in Santa Maria, as reported by SAPO. Both projects are financed under Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, within the framework of the New Space Agenda, with funding of more than 16 million euros.

According to a spokesperson for the Portuguese Air Force, the Alverca Space Hub is not limited to the construction of infrastructure, but also includes equipment necessary for precision work in satellite integration: “The ‘opening’, or entry into production, requires testing for calibration and certification of the aforementioned equipment and training of human resources to develop the necessary skills.”

The spokesperson added that jobs planned for the initial phase are estimated at 30 people, “representing actions that require highly specialised work.”

Future space base in Santa Maria

The Air Force has been strengthening its overall capabilities in the space sector through a project in Santa Maria aimed at increasing Portugal’s space sovereignty.

“Europe is dependent on access to space, and Portugal can take advantage of its geographical advantage, specifically the Azores archipelago, which meets the conditions for safe access to space,” Colonel Pedro Costa, head of the Air Force Space Operations Centre, explained to ECO/eRadar in February.

The Santa Maria Space Base is also financed under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with funding of €15 million: “Being a project within the recovery and resilience plan, the infrastructure and all actions are being developed, the deadline is tight, it’s a challenge, but we are here for the challenges,” Colonel Pedro Costa explains.

Geopolitical context

A whole series of tests must first be carried out, meaning the first rocket launches in Santa Maria will take place in phases, but Colonel Pedro Costa expects the first launches to happen between 2027 and 2028.

Colonel Pedro Costa argues that the current geopolitical context is advantageous for Portugal. Some tests have already been carried out in Norway, but due to the country’s proximity to Russia, the tests had limitations.

The launch vector is currently not being developed, but it will be one of the next projects, securing Portugal the entire value chain: “We have the space value chain, with satellites; we have the satellite integration value chain, with the Alverca Space Hub; we have the spaceport that allows the conditions for access to space; what we effectively lack is the launch vector,” Colonel Pedro Costa states.

The projects are part of Portugal’s broader effort to strengthen its presence in the European space sector.