In a move that could widen Portugal’s role in the space communications market, Thales Portugal will expand its Santa Maria Teleport in the Azores to support future moon communications, according to ECO News.

The company is in negotiations with a private medium- and deep-space network to use its 15-metre antenna for transmitting and receiving data linked to the Moon Gateway project. According to Miguel Boavida, head of Space & Ground Segments at Thales Portugal: “Our goal is to place Portugal and this antenna in communications with the Moon,” ECO news reports.

One Euro Purchase

Portugal’s Foundation for Science and Technology bought the antenna from ESA for one euro, Boavida says. Transferred from Perth in Australia, the 15-metre antenna became operational in 2019. Thales and public partners then funded the “dismantling, transport, refurbishment and installation” in Santa Maria, according to the company. With a co-investment of about 1.5 million euros from the Azores regional government, support buildings were also constructed.

Antenna Qualification

The company began with ESA-related work in 2006-2007 and now serves fifteen clients, both from the private sector and institutional space activities. The Monte das Flores facility already supports launch missions for the European Space Agency, as well as maritime surveillance work for the European Maritime Safety Agency. In addition to launch tracking, the site hosts Galileo infrastructure, earth observations, and commercial antennas.

Thales also plans to get an ESA qualification for the antenna to support the company’s moon missions in the future.