In the south of an island where tourism often has the last word and where words often forget to look up, there is an antenna that listens to what no one else hears, a station that, in its silence, sustains the oldest and newest conversation in the world: that of man with space. The Canary Islands Space Center, in Maspalomas, resembles a white wound in the dry, black earth, a metallic flower that never closes, a sign, if you will, that not everything that happens in the south has to be a hotel, a hammock, or a five o'clock cocktail.
And so, the CEO of Isdefe, Manuel Cutrín Domínguez, made an official visit to the Canary Islands Space Center (CEC), managed by the Esteban Terradas National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), in Maspalomas, southern Gran Canaria. Here, in this corner of the world, men and women work with their eyes on the sky and their feet firmly planted on a land that doesn't always give back what they give. From this station, which many ignore and few defend, the satellites that cross the Atlantic are tracked as if they were invisible ships, carrying information, hope, science, and surveillance. Maspalomas speaks with NASA, ESA, Japan, and anyone else who will listen, because if this center has one thing, besides history, it's patience, and there is no science without patience, just as there is no land without memory.
Isdefe is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Maspalomas Station, a strategic facility specializing in satellite tracking, space data reception, support for international missions, and the operation of search and rescue systems. The center actively collaborates with agencies such as NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), consolidating its role as a benchmark in our country's space infrastructure.
It's here that, when a satellite crashes or a ship calls for help in the middle of the ocean, a signal arrives first, not in Madrid, Brussels, or Tokyo, but in Maspalomas. And yet, no one shouts it out. No one raises their voice to say that these facilities are as strategic as the military bases filled with flags and protocols. Because here, in the south, everything is quieter, more modest, more subject to the judgment of those who only understand room revenue and low-cost flights.
But not all is lost. The future may also be born from an antenna. It's no utopia to say that the Canary Islands could be a lunar base, an equatorial node for missions yet to be dreamed of. If maps change, the climate changes, and the world turns, why not also change the way we think about these islands? If the sky belongs to everyone, Maspalomas is its southern border. And that border doesn't need customs, but rather a constant reminder of the INTA professionals and their appreciation for the people of southern Gran Canaria.
During the visit, the CEO was accompanied by Mayte Castillo Pasalodos, Director of Corporate Development and Strategy; Daniel Acuña Calviño, Director of Operations; and Isaac Domínguez Santos, Director of Space and Technology Centers. The delegation was welcomed by the team of professionals from Isdefe who, together with INTA staff, ensure the station's 24/7 operation, 365 days a year.
Representatives from Isdefe gained firsthand knowledge of the center's capabilities, including the MSP-11 antenna, which supports Earth observation missions such as the Paz satellite, as well as the electronic maintenance facilities and the Real-Time Operations Room. This visit reinforces Isdefe's commitment to operational excellence, institutional cooperation, and Spain's technological development in the aerospace sector in Maspalomas.
