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# ESA and Portugal sign Santa Maria Space Hub deal as Space Rider slips to 2028
- URL: https://sovereigntymonitor.eu/news/2025-11-27-esa-portugal-santa-maria-space-rider-delay/
- Published: 2025-11-27T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-11T16:02:58.000Z
- Description: ESA and Portugal signed a cooperation deal to build a Space Rider landing site on the Azores island of Santa Maria, as ESA confirmed the reusable spaceplane's first flight is now planned for 2028.
- Author: Reidar Balstad
- Tags: Defence and space, #news, #reported, #editor-read

Reported Editor-read [Portuguese Space Agency statement and ESA multimedia release, 27 November 2025](https://ptspace.pt/portugal-and-esa-sign-an-agreement-for-the-space-rider-to-land-in-santa-maria/?ref=sovereigntymonitor.eu)

**What it does not test.** It does not establish a confirmed EUR figure for the Santa Maria site or that the new 2028 target will hold.

**How this item counts.** This item is dated before the index starts on 1 January 2026, so it does not count in the [European Sovereignty Index](https://sovereigntymonitor.eu/sovereignty-index/).

**How this item was made.** Drafted by an AI system (Claude (Anthropic)) from the source cited above; read and approved by the editor on 2026-10-11\. [How the record is made](https://sovereigntymonitor.eu/method/#how-the-record-is-made)