Last week, the Government of Chile announced the launch of public tender to build the National Space Centre and two satellite earth stations in the regions of Antofagasta and Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic. To date, there is no public information on the tender’s conditions, but the official press release indicates that the project will create a synergy between the public and private sectors to strengthen Chile’s position in the Space field.
Chile’s recent space ambition started back in 2019, when the government announced the National Space Program. This plan includes the creation of a ‘Chilean constellation’ of 10 satellites, some of them planned to be built locally, and the construction of the recently announced Space Centre.
While some criticize the lack of a National Space Agency, an initiative that has been presented before Congress several times but that has never crystalized, the current Space Program aims to ensure an investment of 1% of the Chilean GDP, a figure of around USD 3 Billion. This presents an out of the ordinary commercial opportunity for the regional space industry.
For more information, please contact Juan Cacace [email protected] or Juliana Ramírez [email protected].
