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 Interactive map of El Hierro Launch Centre | |||||||
| Location | El Pinar,El Hierro,Canary Islands,Spain | ||||||
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| Coordinates | 27°38′30″N17°59′30″W / 27.641613°N 17.991530°W /27.641613; -17.991530 (El Hierro Launch Centre) | ||||||
| Operator | INTA | ||||||
| Orbital inclination range | 72.3°-105.0°, 121.3°-152.3° | ||||||
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El Hierro Launch Centre (in Spanish:Centro de Lanzamiento Espacial de La Isla de El Hierro) is a proposed project byInstituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA) to create aspaceport on the island ofEl Hierro, part of theCanary Islands. It would be located in the south of the island, in the area ofTacorón, 5 km fromLa Restinga.[1] in the municipality ofEl Pinar, Canary Islands. It is being proposed as a center of civil use exclusively, for the launch ofmicro- andnanosatellites with scientific or commercial objectives, such as telecommunications or Earth observation.
The launch location would allow reachingpolar orbit with a margin, without affecting the countries ofWest Africa. It could also be launched into aninclinedequatorial orbit.[2] Other conditions that make the island a good location are the small population of the island, and the reduced maritime and air traffic, as only oneairway passes over the island's airspace. El Hierro's climate also favors launch operations with annual averages of 2382 light hours, only 22 days with rainfall and a mostly stable temperature.[3]
It would allow reaching a polar,heliosynchronous orgeostationary orbit. The launchazimuth angles could be from 181° to 197° and from 216° to 323°.[4] Other angles would not be possible due to overflights from the otherCanary Islands,Africa andEurope. However, angles between 160° and 181° could be used with the consent of African sovereignties.
In 1996INTA announced its interest[5] in creating aspaceport inEl Hierro island, part of theCanary Islandsarchipelago. It would be the launch site for theCapricornio rocket, in development by that time, and theMinisat 01 satellite.[6]
The proposed project had opposition from environmental organizations.[7] It was then proposed to a different location, toBorque de El Barbudo, nearFaro de Orchilla. On 28 December 1996, there was a demonstration in which about 4,000 people convened by the Malpaso Commission participated, expressing opposition to the spaceport, and to a military radar proposed forPico de Malpaso, as they understood that the island would clearly become a military objective.[8]
On 19 March 1997, theCanary Islands local government created a commission to study the project's suitability, where the local government officially opposed the project.
INTA's director announced that the spaceport would have modest objectives and it would be small.[2] From there, small satellites would be launched, withsolid fuel rockets and forlow-altitude orbits. For launching large satellites, there is already theGuiana base inKourou (French Guiana), of theEuropean Space Agency (ESA). But for small missions, the general director of INTA said, Kourou is expensive.
During three years the Spanish government included 3,000 millionpesetas (18,03 millionEuro) in its budget,[2] but still the project had opposition and was not implemented.
In 2015, the spaceport project was proposed again because of the plans ofPLD Space to develop and launch a new rocket for small payloads, soINTA has agreed to help them procure a launch site. The environmental organizationOssinisa shared again its concerns about the project. PLD Space replied that they are still considering other locations and argued that the purposes of the company are exclusively scientific and commercial, not military. On the environmental aspect they also argued that rockets leave the place "in less than ten seconds" and mentionedCape Canaveral as an example: "one of the largest aquatic reserves in theUnited States where more than 60 rockets are launched per year".[9][10]
In 2016,United Left sent a formal query to theEuropean Commission about their view on this emplacement, given that the island enjoys a high level of environmental protection. The Commission answered that the project at that location would be allowed, but theGovernment of Spain should comply with European regulations.[11]
In 2019, INTA's directorJosé María Salom Piqueres commented in an interview that the project was being studied.[12]