The transfer of the history of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) to Meloneras, with the oldest antenna on the tourist promenade, will become a new icon of the Canary Islands' economic capital. This project, which is presented as a complex undertaking, not only involves the physical relocation of facilities but also the preservation and dissemination of the historical and technological legacy of INTA, a key entity in Spain's aerospace development.
INTA has a historical connection with Maspalomas dating back to the 60s, when Spain and the United States signed a collaboration agreement in the aerospace field. This agreement allowed for the construction of a space tracking station in Maspalomas, which became operational in 1961 as part of NASA's Mercury programme. Initially, the station was operated by American technicians, but the presence of INTA personnel allowed Spain to gain experience in aerospace technology and working methods.
The Maspalomas station played a crucial role in missions such as Gemini, Apollo and Skylab, and later in the tracking of artificial satellites. Although NASA closed the station in 1975, INTA reopened it in 1979 to collaborate with the European Space Agency (ESA) on missions such as Nimbus 7 and Seasat. Since then, the station has evolved to become a key centre for satellite tracking and data reception, participating in international projects and forming part of the Cospas-Sarsat system for the detection of distress signals. Its legacy remains a pillar in the aerospace history of the Canary Islands.
In homage to this legacy and the present, the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council wishes to pay tribute to science. The project, which has required meticulous planning and the collaboration of various specialists, is in its final stages and is expected to be inaugurated at a highly significant event. The ceremony will be attended by senior officials from the Air Force and Space Force, including colonels and other representatives of the armed forces, under the coordination of the local authority of southern Gran Canaria. They have shown great interest in the development of this project, which not only enriches the infrastructure of Meloneras but also strengthens the connection between the community and Spain's military and technological history.
The inauguration of this new space will not only symbolize a step forward in the modernization of INTA's facilities, but also represents a commitment to education and the dissemination of knowledge in the aerospace field.
