The IACTEC Espacio team, a laboratory within the CELESTE project, took part in the International Astronautical Congress 2026 with developments in instrumentation, software and technologies for small satellites, including DRAGO-3, IACSAT-DUNE, libPUS and the future Constelación Islas Canarias

The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) took part in the 77th International Astronautical Congress 2026 (IAC 2026), held from 5 to 9 October in Antalya, Türkiye, where the IACTEC Espacio team, integrated into the CELESTE project, showcased some of the technologies and missions it is developing in the Canary Islands in the fields of space instrumentation, software, communications and Earth observation.

The International Astronautical Congress is one of the main meeting points for the international space community and brings together more than 6,000 participants each year from space agencies, companies, scientific institutions, universities and other stakeholders in the sector. Its 77th edition, organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), was the first to be held in Türkiye. The IAC’s participation provided an opportunity to showcase, in an international setting, the technological capabilities being consolidated in the Canary Islands for the design and development of payloads, software and small-satellite-based missions, while also strengthening contacts with companies and institutions across the global space ecosystem.

“Our presence at the International Astronautical Congress allows us not only to showcase the technologies we are developing in the Canary Islands, but also to see first-hand how the sector is evolving and to establish collaborations that may be important for future missions,” says José Alonso Burgal, manager of IACTEC Espacio.

Software to facilitate the development of space missions

One of the developments presented by the team was libPUS, a C library for implementing the ECSS Packet Utilization Standard (PUS-C), used to organise the exchange of information between satellites and ground control systems.

The tool is designed to facilitate the integration of payload software with a mission’s ground segment. Unlike solutions focused solely on generating and reading data packets, libPUS also incorporates the logic of the main services defined by the PUS standard.

This makes it possible to manage routine tasks in a space mission, such as sending telemetry from the satellite, receiving telecommands sent from Earth, or communicating with different control systems.

Its architecture also makes it possible to reuse the same implementation across different missions through configuration changes, without having to redevelop a large part of the software from scratch. The library has been designed to be compatible with the technological ecosystem of the European Space Agency (ESA), to operate without external dependencies and to facilitate its integration into new projects.

“With libPUS, we want to simplify an essential part of any space mission: communication between the instruments on board the satellite and the control systems on Earth. The idea is to provide a flexible and reusable tool that makes it easier to integrate new payloads and reduces the work required to adapt the software to each mission,” explains Carlos Colodro, electronics engineer at IACTEC-Espacio and the main person responsible for the development of libPUS.

From DRAGO cameras to future missions

Participation in Antalya also provided an opportunity to showcase other lines of work at IACTEC Espacio, including the new generation of DRAGO-3 infrared cameras, the IACSAT-DUNE mission and developments related to the future Constelación Islas Canarias (CIC).

These projects build on the Institute’s accumulated experience in developing compact instrumentation for small satellites and in missions such as ALISIO-1, the IAC’s first satellite dedicated to Earth observation.

Taken together, these lines of work reflect an evolution from the development of individual instruments towards broader capabilities that include payload design, flight software, data processing, communications and the definition of future missions.

Participation in the International Astronautical Congress also makes it possible to compare these developments with international trends in the sector, identify opportunities for cooperation and establish contacts with companies, agencies and institutions working in complementary fields.

The Canary Islands in the international space ecosystem

The IAC team took part in the congress from the Spanish Pavilion, at an event where the Canary Islands were represented with the aim of strengthening the international profile of their aerospace sector.

The International Astronautical Congress itself is conceived as a meeting point for research, industry and space agencies, with a programme covering the different areas of the sector and offering opportunities to learn about technological advances, build collaboration networks and explore potential international partnerships.

The 2026 edition was held under the theme The World Needs More Space, with particular attention to technological innovation, international cooperation and the sustainable and responsible development of space activities.

The IAC’s participation in this type of event helps to project the capabilities developed in the Canary Islands and connect the Institute’s technological projects with an increasingly international space sector, in which small satellites, instrument miniaturisation and technology reuse are playing a growing role.

IACTEC Espacio, a laboratory within the CELESTE project

The capabilities showcased in Antalya form part of the activity of IACTEC Espacio, currently integrated as a laboratory within the CELESTE (Cutting Edge Leap to Excellence in Space and Optics Technologies) project.

Within this framework, IACTEC Espacio brings together capabilities related to the development of instrumentation and technologies for small satellite missions, from cameras and payloads to communications, software and systems associated with their operation.

CELESTE is an initiative led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias to strengthen the Canary Islands’ research, development and innovation capabilities in two interconnected strategic areas: advanced optical technologies and the so-called New Space.

Participation in international forums such as the International Astronautical Congress 2026 helps project these capabilities beyond the Canary Islands, generate opportunities for collaboration and position the IAC’s technological developments within the main international networks of the space sector.

CELESTE officially began on 1 January 2025 and will run until the end of 2030. It is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101136736, with complementary funding from the Gobierno de Canarias and the Cabildo de Tenerife, and has been recognised as a strategic project in the fields of Astrophysics, Space and Aeronautics.