The race to consolidate technological sovereignty in Spanish space communications has reached a decisive milestone in the deployment of critical infrastructure. The General Directorate of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology Esteban Terradas (INTA), an agency under the Ministry of Defense, is progressing with the processing of the high-tech project. The project involves the supply, installation, and commissioning of a new triband antenna specifically for the Maspalomas Space Station, in southern Gran Canaria. The budget is €4,2 million net of taxes, an allocation intended to position the Atlantic node at the forefront of receiving next-generation satellite data.
The administrative process, conducted through an open procedure regulated by the directives of the European Parliament and the Council, officially began at the end of last summer following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The deadline for receiving technical and financial bids expired in mid-September, and a rigorous review of the proposals submitted began at the INTA headquarters in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid. The operational timetable set out in the tender documents establishes the project’s duration over a multi-year period, extending until June 30, 2027.
The awarding of this space infrastructure project will reinforce the strategic role of the Canary Islands archipelago in international Earth observation and global security programs. The new antenna will operate under strict security protocols, with the tender specifications stipulating the immediate exclusion of any bidder involved in corruption offenses or violations of European free competition regulations. INTA will coordinate the engineering developments from its headquarters in Madrid, integrating the new telecommunications systems into the national defense data networks and ensuring that Maspalomas maintains its position as an irreplaceable link for European Space Agency (ESA) missions and global scientific operators.