{"id":197270,"date":"2026-07-28T20:17:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T18:17:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/candas365.es\/noticias\/?p=197270"},"modified":"2026-07-28T20:17:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T18:17:26","slug":"asturias-is-strengthening-its-role-in-the-new-space-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/candas365.es\/noticias\/asturias-is-strengthening-its-role-in-the-new-space-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Asturias is strengthening its role in the new space age"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asturias<\/strong><\/span><\/a> will bring together around 70 specialists from ten countries in Oviedo for an international conference on space exploration, the space industry and new technologies in the sector.<\/p>\n

\"Asturias
Foto: Principado de Asturias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asturias becomes a hub for the new space economy<\/h2>\n

Asturias will strengthen its position in the new space economy by hosting the international conference The Many Pathways to Space<\/i>, which will take place from 5 to 7 August in Oviedo\/Uvi\u00e9u.<\/p>\n

The Regional Ministry of Science, Industry and Employment, together with the Asturias Institute of Space Sciences and Technologies (ICTEA) and the Foundation for the Promotion of Applied Scientific Research and Technology in Asturias (Ficyt), is organising this event, designed to link research, industry and the technological capabilities of different regions with the major challenges of space exploration.<\/p>\n

The event will bring together around 70 specialists from ten countries \u2014 Spain, Luxembourg, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Peru \u2014 representing more than thirty universities, research centres, companies, start-ups and space agencies. More than half of the participants will be travelling from outside Asturias, further enhancing the event\u2019s international profile.<\/p>\n

Space research, industry and technology<\/h2>\n

The programme will combine scientific presentations, institutional dialogue and an industrial perspective to address some of the main challenges of the current space race, such as planetary defence, lunar and Martian exploration, space health, habitats in extreme environments, microgravity, orbital debris, and new propulsion technologies and nanosatellites.<\/p>\n

Participants will include representatives from organisations such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the CSIC, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the University of Tokyo, the University of Arizona, the University of Central Florida, and the universities of Luxembourg and Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

Spanish teams from the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics, the Andalusian Institute of Astrophysics and other research centres will also take part, alongside representatives from technology centres, deep-tech start-ups and aerospace companies, with a focus on knowledge transfer to industry.<\/p>\n

Asturias contributes its own infrastructure and capabilities<\/h2>\n

The Regional Minister for Science, Industry and Employment, Borja S\u00e1nchez, emphasised during the presentation that Asturias possesses \u201cunique knowledge, industry and infrastructure\u201d to join the new space age.<\/p>\n

Accompanied by the conference coordinator, researcher Noem\u00ed Pinilla Alonso (ICTEA-University of Oviedo), and the director of Ficyt, Mercedes D\u00edaz, S\u00e1nchez highlighted the opportunity to capitalise on Asturias\u2019 innovative ecosystem and the region\u2019s industrial heritage. \u201cThe conquest of space is built from Earth,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Asturias has already secured an investment of 1.8 million euros through pre-commercial public procurement to develop test beds for nanosatellites and small rocket engines.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, mining infrastructure offers new possibilities for space research. The Santiago mine shaft in Aller is ideally suited to simulating lunar lava tubes and testing habitats protected against radiation.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Carrio mine shaft in Laviana is hosting research by SERIDA into underground crops under extreme conditions. \u201cIf we want to grow food in space, the first trials are already taking place beneath the Asturian soil,\u201d noted S\u00e1nchez.<\/p>\n

Artemis, planetary defence and the challenges of space exploration<\/h2>\n

The conference programme includes discussions on the challenges linked to the Artemis mission and sustainable human presence beyond Earth.<\/p>\n

Planetary defence will feature prominently, with specialists working on the monitoring and characterisation of asteroids, including Apophis, whose approach to Earth in 2029 presents a scientific opportunity to advance our understanding of these bodies and improve international preparedness for potential natural hazards of space origin.<\/p>\n

Key details of the event<\/h3>\n