Our history

Chile’s role in the development of the space sector

Chile is set to play a leading role. Its position in the development of space-related activities, particularly astronomy, is underlined by the fact that it is home to a high proportion of the world’s observatories; The presence of an ideal testing environment for systems and vehicles, such as the Atacama Desert; activity surrounding nanosatellites; and the partnership with the European Union’s Copernicus programme, which enables access to open data, are just a few examples of the growing activity taking place in the country. This requires us to move forward in the search for strategies and guidelines that contribute to the development of space-related issues.

The role of the University of Chile

The University of Chile has been closely involved in these matters ever since it signed an agreement in 1958 to support NASA programmes and establish the Centre for Space Studies, and again in 2017 when, through the SUCHAI nanosatellite programme, it launched the first Chilean nanosatellite , the foundation of Chile’s current nanosatellite constellation, and is currently carrying out the project Copernicus Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean: CopernicusLAC Chile, under the agreement signed with the European Union, which is deploying a powerful infrastructure for data storage and processing, providing services to the region that will aid decision-making in various areas affecting society today. For these and other reasons, together with national and international institutions, both public and private, they have decided to organise the International Conference on Space and Sustainable Development (CEDS 2026).

CEDS 2024

During the International Conference on Space and Sustainable Development (CEDS 2024), three days of activities took place, combining academic, technical and networking sessions.

The event began with participant registration and a workshop on the Digital Alliance between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by the opening ceremony. On the same day, a plenary session on national and regional space policies was held, along with panels addressing the need for a national space policy and innovation incentives.

The second day focused on the space industry and technological development. Plenary sessions on the space industry and on space science and technology were held, alongside several parallel sessions covering topics such as Earth observation, space segment technologies, applied artificial intelligence, and nanosatellites. The programme also included opportunities for interaction, such as working lunches and a networking reception.

The final day centred on the global impact of the sector, with sessions on the sustainability of space and space as an asset for humanity. The conference concluded with a closing ceremony.