Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.
The astronaut and former Minister for Science, Pedro Duque, said this Wednesday that the Canary Islands are the “ultimate dream” for companies seeking a location to launch rockets, thanks to their proximity to the equator and the clarity of their skies.
Aspiration spanning half a century
Before taking part in a discussion organised by APD Canarias, Duque remarked that he has spent some 50 years aspiring to this initiative, which has often faced opposition based more on “emotional than rational” criteria. He noted that this project has been pursued “all his life” “and has never been achieved”, when, besides the natural conditions, there are others of a fiscal nature – through the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) – that favour the establishment of technology-based companies.
Praise for the IAC and the vision of Francisco Sánchez
Duque also praised the work of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC) and the “vision” of its former director, Francisco Sánchez, who helped make the islands’ skies known around the world. He also highlighted the creation of IACTEC, set up so that technology can be developed thanks to the knowledge gained in astronomy and astrophysics.
The Thirty Metre Telescope: “time out”, but not game over
Turning to the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, whose organisers have ruled out building it in La Palma, Duque commented that it has been left in “time out”, though he believes there are still options if the project is reformulated. According to the former astronaut, it is worth “keeping an eye on what comes out” of the process, because perhaps for many years people had been thinking about building a 30-metre telescope with this design “and now it turns out that something else needed to be done”.
He indicated that “the match is not over and nobody knows how it will end”, although it is clear that the United States, the project’s main backer, now has a different vision, quite apart from the fact that in Hawaii opposition continues on arguments that are more “emotional than rational”.
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