During the Barcelona Moon Team summit held in Madrid between the 6 and 8 of November, several meetings were held between the Chinese delegation and the Spanish teams.

The technical meetings were held in CASA Espacio and we could visit their facilities in which the company produces the different structures of the Ariane 5 in carbon fiber. The machinery used for this purpose is impressive as the diameter of the Ariane 5 is more than 5 meters. Those machines have seven principal axes and two rotational axes and can do flat, conical or cylindrical elements.

Actually, some of those elements are actually tested in the facilities that the Chinese delegation visited next day. On Wednesday we visited the National Institute of Aerospace Technology where the delegation was welcomed by the Head of Space Programs and Systems Department.

The delegation included including representatives from China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), and Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion Technology (AALPT), an entity attached to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). During the meeting several potential collaborations were discussed between the Spanish and Chinese national institutes.

The Spanish INTA is focusing in the research and business segments that are not easily handled by the private industry, mainly the research programs for small satellites and the testing facilities, which are too costly for the private enterprise. Indeed, the institute gathers impressive facilities that are used by most of the private companies, national and foreigner, when developing their space programs.

During the day we visit different of those testing facilities, including electromagnetic compatibility tests (EMC, structural tests, and airplane engine test facilities). At the EMC facilities INTA checks the safe functioning, as regards both emissions and susceptibility, of any equipment or system having electronic components. At the structural test facilities structures are submitted to static, dynamic and fatigue tests, at the same time as their behavior is determined on being exposed to vibrations, forces, and deformation cycles.