Mitma inaugurates the expansion and renovation of the Yebes Observatory, funded by European Feder funds

09/11/2023

- The undersecretary, Jesús Gómez, highlights that 14 million euros have been invested in the new facilities and infrastructures, which consolidate the Guadalajara Observatory as a world reference in radioastronomy. - The new satellite laser telemetry system turns the center into one of eight Fundamental Geodetic observation stations of the Global System that exist in the world to monitor the geodynamic changes of our planet. - Its activity provides information to support global satellite navigation systems for transport and connected mobility.

The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) has today inaugurated the new facilities and infrastructures of the Yebes Observatory (Guadalajara), attached to the National Geographic Institute (IGN). Mitma has invested 14 million euros of European Feder funds, obtained through the Ministry of Science and Innovation, in expanding and renovating the center, consolidating it as a world reference in radioastronomy.

As explained by the Undersecretary of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Jesús Gómez, during the opening ceremony, the actions carried out have allowed and a new system of Laser Telemetry to Satellites, turning the center into one of the eight Fundamental Geodetic observation stations of the Global Geodetic Observation System that exist in the world, which allows to monitor the geodynamic changes of our planet.

“This investment is key, for example, to monitor parameters of the Earth with applications to climate change, or to the monitoring of objects of “space debris”, which is a serious problem for navigation in space,” explained the undersecretary during the event, in which he was accompanied by the Secretary General of Research of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Raquel Yotti, and by the Director General of the IGN, Lorenzo García, among other political representatives such as the Deputy Delegate of the Government in Guadalajara, Mercedes Gómez.

In addition, thanks to European funds, the facilities of laboratories and workshops necessary to carry out technological developments have been expanded and new and advanced technical equipment has been incorporated with which, among other achievements, the performance of its radio telescope of 40 meters (m) and 13.2 m in diameter, one of the most important in the world in radioastronomy, has been improved.

This observatory is a leader in radioastronomy techniques and enjoys great international prestige for the quality of its observations and its developments, many of them exported to several countries of the world. The Ministry of Science and Innovation includes the Yebes Observatory on the map of the Singular Scientific-Technical Facilities (ICTS) in Spain, being the only one located in Castilla La Mancha.

Its activity is embodied in other policies of the Ministry, maintaining, for example, the reference frameworks on which the global navigation satellite systems for transport and connected mobility are based. Activities to which it will now contribute added value, for the control of orbits and threats of these satellites and for the provision of the necessary information for an intelligent adaptation of urban ecosystems to global change.

European funds

This action has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way of making Europe”, through agreements signed with the General Secretariat of Research of the Ministry of Science and Innovation

In particular, in the last five years the National Geographic Information Centre was awarded EUR 14 million from ERDF funds for the implementation of two projects:

YDALGO “Development Infrastructures and Laboratory Activities for Space Geodesy at the Yebes Observatory”, in 2018.

YNART “Infrastructures for the updating of the radio telescopes of the Yebes Observatory”, in 2020.

Photos of the visit YEBES | Flickr