The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), through IACTEC-Space, is participating this week in Space Tech Expo Europe, the largest space industry trade fair on the continent, held in Bremen from November 18 to 20. The team is located in the Spain Space pavilion, alongside the Canary Islands Aerospace Strategy (EAC), to showcase the technological developments of the CELESTE laboratories and strengthen international collaborations in the space sector.
The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is participating once again in Space Tech Expo Europe, the leading event for the space industry, which brings together more than 10,000 visitors and companies from around the world.
In this edition, the IAC is present at the stand of the Canary Islands Aerospace Strategy (EAC), an initiative promoted by the Canary Islands Government and the island councils to turn the archipelago into an international reference center in the aerospace field.
Representing the IAC are Álex Oscoz, José Alonso Burgal, and Xana Delpueyo Español from IACTEC-Space, and José Luis Rasilla from CSOA, who will showcase and explain the technological advances developed in their laboratories, two of the five that will make up CELESTE, along with the Quantum & Optical Communication Lab, LIOM, Adaptive Optics Lab, and the Advanced Optical Systems Lab.
IACTEC-Space is the department of the IAC that focuses its activity on the design and development of payloads for Earth observation and astrophysics satellites, and has led milestones such as the development, launch into orbit, and operation of the DRAGO-1 and DRAGO-2 infrared cameras, as well as the first Canary Islands satellite, ALISIO-1.
During the fair, the team is presenting the advances of DRAGO-3, the new generation of SWIR cameras that will form part of the Canary Islands Constellation (CIC), promoted by the Cabildo of Tenerife, as well as the development of the compact VINIS telescope, capable of obtaining high-resolution images in the visible, NIR, and SWIR ranges. In addition, they are exhibiting the progress of the IACSAT-DUNE microsatellite, which will be the IAC's first space observatory aimed at searching for exoplanets using visible and infrared instrumentation. This satellite will integrate advanced pointing and focusing correction systems, applicable to both astrophysical missions and future optical communications platforms.
The IAC team is part of the EAC stand within the Spain Space pavilion, the institutional space coordinated by ICEX. They are joined by representatives from the Canary Islands Government, the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), Fuerteventura Technology Park, ACIISI, and PROEXCA, with the common goal of promoting technological capabilities, attracting investment, and establishing alliances with key international players in the sector.
The CELESTE project, developed with funding from the European Union, the Government of the Canary Islands, and the Cabildo of Tenerife, has the support of the Canary Islands Smart Specialization Strategy (S4) and is being carried out in collaboration with leading institutions such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). CELESTE is making progress in the creation of a self-sustaining center of excellence for the development of optical and space technologies. From Bremen, the IAC team continues to strengthen links with industry and to promote the scientific, technological, and economic potential that the Canary Islands bring to the European space ecosystem.
