Recent Activity
Five-year operating license granted by Portugal Space in August 2025; ASC announced detailed construction timeline in October 2025 with first PERUN suborbital flight targeting spring 2026.
Investor Brief
Only mid-Atlantic European spaceport — covers an orbital regime the Nordic high-latitude sites can't serve efficiently, plus uniquely positioned as ESA Space Rider's return-from-orbit landing site (a non-launch revenue line).
Ownership
Parent Entity
Regulatory Regime
Anchor Tenants
Latitude Advantage
Launch Azimuth Range
Country
🇵🇹Portugal
Region
Europe
Established
2,025
Launches / Year
0
Years Active
1
Strategic Position
36.9695° N, 25.1690° W
Azimuth: Multi-directional over open Atlantic (north, south, and eastward corridors all viable)
37.0 deg N — only mid-latitude European site; competitive for ISS-inclination (51.6 deg) launches without northward dogleg required from Nordic sites
Future Milestones
- 2026
SpaceForest PERUN inaugural suborbital flight (spring 2026)
- 2027
Innospace Hanbit-Nano first orbital launch attempt
- 2028
ESA Space Rider inaugural reentry and landing at Malbusca
About
Santa Maria Spaceport, operated by the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC), is Portugal's first licensed launch facility, located on Santa Maria Island in the Azores archipelago. Granted a five-year operating license in August 2025, it offers a unique mid-Atlantic launch corridor with open ocean trajectories in multiple directions. The site at Malbusca is also designated as ESA's landing site for the Space Rider reusable orbital vehicle, with suborbital flights planned for 2026 and orbital launches targeting 2027.
Key Features
Portugal's first licensed spaceport — five-year operating license granted August 2025
Mid-Atlantic location at 37 deg N provides unique launch corridor over open ocean
Designated landing site for ESA's Space Rider reusable orbital vehicle
First confirmed tenants include SpaceForest (suborbital) and Innospace (orbital)
Strategic position between Europe and the Americas for flexible orbital access
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
SpaceForest PERUN suborbital rocket planned as first launch in spring 2026
Innospace Hanbit orbital launches planned from 2026-2027
ESA Space Rider inaugural landing targeted for 2028
Suborbital flight operations expected to begin in 2026