Portugal plans national space agency as it boosts ESA contribution

By TPN/Lusa, in News · 08-12-2016 13:39:00 · 0 Comments

Portugal is preparing to create a space agency, the minister for science, technology and higher education, Manuel Heitor, told Lusa News Agency, describing this as “one of the main challenges” for 2017 for his ministry.

The comments came as the ministry announced that Portugal intends to increase its financial contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA) by €30.5 million over the next six years, to bolster the participation of the country’s companies and institutions in space programmes.

It is to propose an increase in its contribution to just over €86 million from the current €55.5 million between 2017 and 2022.

In a statement, Heitor was quoted as saying that “the main strategy is to ensure Portugal’s participation in programmes of Atlantic observation and of launching new satellites.”

But, he revealed in comments to Lusa, Portugal intends to go further.

