In 1996
INTA announced its interest in creating a
spaceport in
El Hierro island, part of the
Canary Islands archipelago. It would be the launch site for the
Capricornio rocket, in development by that time, and the
Minisat 01 satellite. The proposed project had opposition from environmental organizations. It was then proposed to a different location, to
Borque de El Barbudo, near
Faro de Orchilla. On 28 December 1996, there was a demonstration in which about 4,000 people convened by the Malpaso Commission participated, expressing opposition to the spaceport, and to a military radar proposed for
Pico de Malpaso, as they understood that the island would clearly become a military objective. On 19 March 1997, the
Canary Islands local government created a commission to study the project's suitability, where the local government officially opposed the project. INTA's director announced that the spaceport would have modest objectives and it would be small. In 2016,
United Left sent a formal query to the
European Commission about their view on this emplacement, given that the island enjoys a high level of environmental protection. The Commission answered that the project at that location would be allowed, but the
Government of Spain should comply with European regulations. In 2019, INTA's director
José María Salom Piqueres commented in an interview that the project was being studied. == See also ==