gran canaria space station nasa artemis ii moon mission

Gran Canaria’s Space Station to Support NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission

Gran Canaria Space Centre Backs NASA’s Return to the Moon

The Canary Islands Space Centre in Maspalomas, in the south of Gran Canaria, will provide support to NASA for the crewed Artemis II mission to the Moon. The launch is scheduled for Wednesday, 1st April at 18:24 Eastern US time (22:24 GMT), according to Cristian Rodríguez, the technical head of these operations, who spoke to EFE.

Historic Support Role from the Atlantic

The Maspalomas Space Station will assist NASA, as it did during the Apollo XI mission, not only during the orbital entry and exit phases—as it will this time—but also in monitoring astronaut health. This will be done using data received from the sensors the crew are wearing specifically for that purpose, Rodríguez indicated.

The Critical Work of the Engineering Team

From the Canary Islands Space Station, a team of ten engineers from various disciplines will provide support during the ten-day mission. They will assist during the orbital entry and exit phases to establish the radio link between NASA and the Orion spacecraft, enabling encrypted communication between the two. The station has collaborated with NASA on such missions before, but this is only the second time involving human lives, meaning the level of control is greater. Rodríguez noted, however, that all the work to be carried out is highly procedural and standardised.

Tracking the Orion Spacecraft

In addition, the station will provide telemetry support to determine the spacecraft’s distance and speed. According to Rodríguez, the launch will occur at midnight Canary Islands time on Thursday, with the first contact from the Maspalomas Space Station expected to begin around 02:00 hours, when NASA’s own antennas lose coverage.

A Landmark Mission for Lunar Exploration

The Orion spacecraft, carried by the Artemis II rocket, will transport four astronauts, including Christina Koch, who will be the first woman to travel to the Moon. Rodríguez stated that this mission is a precursor to a subsequent one where humans will set foot on the lunar surface again. He also mentioned other international ventures by more space agencies, which are interested in organising civilian trips and are also keen to receive support from the Maspalomas Space Station.

Previous Launch Delay

The launch of Artemis II from Cape Canaveral was originally planned for almost two months ago but was delayed due to technical and weather-related issues. Consequently, the rocket was returned to the assembly building on 21st February, just hours after the final dress rehearsal ahead of lift-off.

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