en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Government of the Antofagasta Region in Chile, funded through the Regional Productivity and Development Fund (FRPD) and led by the Innovation and Advanced Design Center (CINNDA), launched the "Antofagasta in Orbit" project in 2025. This project aims to design, build, and integrate Chile's first CubeSat developed from a region, intended for climate and territorial monitoring and surveillance. The project's launch marks Antofagasta's entry into the CubeSat design phase from a state of no space capability, representing the first regional-level space technology development project in Chile outside the capital, Santiago. 
The specific application directions of the CubeSat include mine tailings observation, extreme heat events, landfill spread, and exposure to natural disaster monitoring. Among these, mine tailings observation directly serves the region's dense mining activities for copper, lithium, and other minerals. The satellite will be used to identify tailings pond leaks, changes in storage capacity, and the risk of dispersion into the surrounding environment, falling under the mining environmental monitoring scenario. The region is characterized by a concentration of mining activities, urban growth, and high climate demands.
The project is currently in the initial design phase and has not yet entered the construction or integration stages. As a supporting initiative, the project includes a space and satellite technology training program, which has selected 10 students from majors such as mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, telecommunications, robotics, biochemistry, and astrophysics to participate in the design and construction, aiming to fill the gap in aerospace professionals in the region.
Furthermore, through a school community naming contest, the satellite was named "Likansat." The Governor of the Antofagasta Region, Ricardo Díaz, stated that this project is the first step in promoting the establishment of a regional aerospace center in collaboration with the Chilean Air Force. CINNDA's Executive Director, Ricardo Grau, pointed out that the region currently lacks mature, specialized aerospace capabilities; therefore, the training program will directly integrate students into the mission. The project advances simultaneously in two directions: talent development and infrastructure. The next steps will involve the specific design, construction, and integration phases of the satellite, with plans to incorporate public and private sector partners to expand the satellite's capabilities.
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