7 August 2025 of the year Chile announced, that the construction of the first National Space Center (CEN) in Cerrillos, near Santiago, reached 85% readiness, and its opening is scheduled for December 2025 year. This center will be the country's first object for the production of satellites and the independent development of space technologies, Strengthening scientific and technological sovereignty within the national satellite system.
The project is implemented under the leadership of the Chilean Air Force in cooperation with the ministries of defense and science, technologies, knowledge and innovations. During the inspection of the construction site, the government representatives emphasized the strategic role of the center in the development of research, of national security and innovation.
CEN will occupy an area of more than 62 thousand square feet and will include four main areas. One of them is a clean room 6450 square feet to assemble satellites under harsh environmental conditions. It is planned to produce seven microsatellites weighing 50 pounds and one Earth observation satellite weighing approx 440 pounds, developed by Chilean specialists.
The center will also have a data lab with high-performance computing and artificial intelligence capabilities, a mission control center for autonomous operation of satellites and an innovation laboratory to support technological projects with startups and universities.
Expected, that in the center will work close 120 persons, of which 30% will be representatives of academic institutions. CEN will be open to universities and research organizations, contributing to national development.
A special feature of the center will be STELARBOT – a robot, developed by the University of Santiago in collaboration with the Teletón Institute and the Chilean Air Force. Controlled remotely by people with disabilities through an interface with cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence, he will conduct tours and explain the technological processes, demonstrating the inclusivity of technology.
CEN is part of a broader strategy to create a network of space centers in Chile. The government plans to open a center in the northern region for communications in remote areas and another in Punta Arenas in the south, which will specialize in radar satellites for operation in difficult weather conditions.
Thanks to these initiatives, Chile is positioning itself as a new player in the Latin American space industry. Opening of CEN in December 2025 year will be a technological breakthrough and will open up new opportunities for research, innovations and training of specialists with application in the mining industry, agriculture, environmental monitoring and defense.
Source: https://www.upi.com