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Welcome Note
The Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Space) is an entity acting under the direct dependency of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, with the goal of manage and coordinate all the infrastructures and technical or scientific activities, directly or indirectly related to Space or the aerospace sector, to be developed in the Azores, and to ensure the implementation and monitoring of the “Azores Strategy for Space”
Government Council Resolution 106/2022 de 13 de junho de 2022
"Azores, the Atlantic hub for space."
Nota de Imprensa
July 17, 2025
Paulo Estêvão highlights importance of regional meeting of teachers involved in education for Space
The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, attended today the presentation of several workshops at the first regional meeting of the Azores Space Teachers Network (ASTN) held in Lagoa. He highlighted the importance of the event as a forum for debate and knowledge sharing on space-related matters. “It is very important to have critical mass in this sector. It is not just our location and political ambition; it is important to have this critical mass to respond to these needs and to the companies that set up here. We now have seven aerospace companies based in the Azores, and another two will arrive by the end of the year,” the government official emphasised. For Paulo Estêvão, the Azorean economy must be "diversified," with the aerospace sector being a key focus for job creation and wealth generation. "There are jobs directly linked to the sector and then there are all the others linked to adjacent sectors," continued the government official, who acknowledged the centrality of Santa Maria in this field. Nevertheless, he noted that the goal is for all the islands of the Azores to be involved in space-related matters. The ASTN initiative, which took place on Wednesday and ends today, is part of the activity plan of the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Espaço), representing a meeting point for teacher training in the Azores for the development of projects in the field of "Education for Space." ASTN is a regional cooperation and sharing network currently comprising 114 teachers from all levels of education, including vocational education, and all islands in the archipelago. It is a network open to the entire teaching community. The network was created in 2022 with the aim of promoting a forum for the discussion of ideas and sharing of experiences between teachers and partner entities, with a special interest in the application of curricular and extracurricular projects using Space as a learning context. In the space field, it should be noted that the Government will join the Portuguese Space Agency's Astronaut for a Day initiative in September, which will take place on the island of Santa Maria. The local airport will be the setting for the zero-gravity flight that will take 30 Portuguese students on a unique experience of floating like astronauts. In addition, the fourth edition of the European Symposium of NEREUS Regions, linked to space technologies, will take place in the Region in October.
July 17, 2025
Paulo Estêvão highlights importance of regional meeting of teachers involved in education for Space
The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, attended today the presentation of several workshops at the first regional meeting of the Azores Space Teachers Network (ASTN) held in Lagoa. He highlighted the importance of the event as a forum for debate and knowledge sharing on space-related matters. “It is very important to have critical mass in this sector. It is not just our location and political ambition; it is important to have this critical mass to respond to these needs and to the companies that set up here. We now have seven aerospace companies based in the Azores, and another two will arrive by the end of the year,” the government official emphasised. For Paulo Estêvão, the Azorean economy must be "diversified," with the aerospace sector being a key focus for job creation and wealth generation. "There are jobs directly linked to the sector and then there are all the others linked to adjacent sectors," continued the government official, who acknowledged the centrality of Santa Maria in this field. Nevertheless, he noted that the goal is for all the islands of the Azores to be involved in space-related matters. The ASTN initiative, which took place on Wednesday and ends today, is part of the activity plan of the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Espaço), representing a meeting point for teacher training in the Azores for the development of projects in the field of "Education for Space." ASTN is a regional cooperation and sharing network currently comprising 114 teachers from all levels of education, including vocational education, and all islands in the archipelago. It is a network open to the entire teaching community. The network was created in 2022 with the aim of promoting a forum for the discussion of ideas and sharing of experiences between teachers and partner entities, with a special interest in the application of curricular and extracurricular projects using Space as a learning context. In the space field, it should be noted that the Government will join the Portuguese Space Agency's Astronaut for a Day initiative in September, which will take place on the island of Santa Maria. The local airport will be the setting for the zero-gravity flight that will take 30 Portuguese students on a unique experience of floating like astronauts. In addition, the fourth edition of the European Symposium of NEREUS Regions, linked to space technologies, will take place in the Region in October.
Nota de Imprensa
July 9, 2025
Astronaut for a Day initiative to land in the Azores for the first time in September
The Regional Government is teaming up with the Portuguese Space Agency's Astronaut for a Day initiative, which will take off this year from Santa Maria Island Airport. The 2025 edition of the Astronaut for a Day initiative will take place between September 18 and 21 on the island of Santa Maria. The local airport will be the venue for the zero-gravity flight that will take 30 Portuguese students on a unique experience of floating like astronauts. The initiative, which has already taken 91 young people to defy gravity, gains a new partner this year with the involvement of the Regional Government, which hosts and supports the final phase of the programme. During the final three days of the flight, the 30 finalists will participate in group dynamic activities and training sessions. These will take place on the island of Santa Maria and at the headquarters of the Portuguese Space Agency in Vila do Porto. These sessions aim to broaden knowledge about the national space sector and encourage teamwork. “In hosting the Astronaut for a Day initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency, the Azores are renewing their ambition to increasingly establish themselves as an important strategic point in promoting space among our young people, who are the future of regional, national and European space ecosystems,” stressed José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government. The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, who is responsible for coordinating matters related to space projects, attended last year's edition of the Astronaut for a Day initiative in Beja, where he encouraged the organisation to hold the event in the Azores. “The Government of the Azores has conveyed to the organisation the Region’s willingness to host the event. In addition to this, the fourth edition of the European Symposium of NEREUS Regions, linked to space technologies, will also be held in the Azores this year,” the government official continued, addressing various initiatives in this area of governance. For Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency, “bringing Astronaut for a Day to Santa Maria is more than a logistical choice — it is a commitment to territorial cohesion and the active involvement of autonomous regions in establishing Portugal as a space nation.” The 2025 edition of Astronaut for a Day received over 500 applications from all regions of the country, revealing a female majority for the first time. After a demanding selection process, featuring spatial perception and memory tests, physical fitness assessments and interviews, 30 finalists were chosen, including students from the Azores and Madeira. Astronaut for a Day also has the support of the Armed Forces, through the Portuguese Air Force, Ciência Viva, the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the University of Porto, and the Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon.
July 9, 2025
Astronaut for a Day initiative to land in the Azores for the first time in September
The Regional Government is teaming up with the Portuguese Space Agency's Astronaut for a Day initiative, which will take off this year from Santa Maria Island Airport. The 2025 edition of the Astronaut for a Day initiative will take place between September 18 and 21 on the island of Santa Maria. The local airport will be the venue for the zero-gravity flight that will take 30 Portuguese students on a unique experience of floating like astronauts. The initiative, which has already taken 91 young people to defy gravity, gains a new partner this year with the involvement of the Regional Government, which hosts and supports the final phase of the programme. During the final three days of the flight, the 30 finalists will participate in group dynamic activities and training sessions. These will take place on the island of Santa Maria and at the headquarters of the Portuguese Space Agency in Vila do Porto. These sessions aim to broaden knowledge about the national space sector and encourage teamwork. “In hosting the Astronaut for a Day initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency, the Azores are renewing their ambition to increasingly establish themselves as an important strategic point in promoting space among our young people, who are the future of regional, national and European space ecosystems,” stressed José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government. The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, who is responsible for coordinating matters related to space projects, attended last year's edition of the Astronaut for a Day initiative in Beja, where he encouraged the organisation to hold the event in the Azores. “The Government of the Azores has conveyed to the organisation the Region’s willingness to host the event. In addition to this, the fourth edition of the European Symposium of NEREUS Regions, linked to space technologies, will also be held in the Azores this year,” the government official continued, addressing various initiatives in this area of governance. For Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency, “bringing Astronaut for a Day to Santa Maria is more than a logistical choice — it is a commitment to territorial cohesion and the active involvement of autonomous regions in establishing Portugal as a space nation.” The 2025 edition of Astronaut for a Day received over 500 applications from all regions of the country, revealing a female majority for the first time. After a demanding selection process, featuring spatial perception and memory tests, physical fitness assessments and interviews, 30 finalists were chosen, including students from the Azores and Madeira. Astronaut for a Day also has the support of the Armed Forces, through the Portuguese Air Force, Ciência Viva, the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the University of Porto, and the Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon.
