On June 14, in the context of the G20 meetings, the most important energy policy makers from the countries participating in the forum toured the headquarters of INVAP in San Carlos de Bariloche.
They were welcomed by the national Minister of Energy and Mining, Engineer Juan José Aranguren, together with the Governor of the Province of Río Negro, Mr. Alberto Weretilneck, and some authorities of INVAP; and were briefed about the company’s most important achievements in its more than 40 years in the following fields: nuclear, space, defense and security, medical systems, and technological services.
During the tour, they visited the Satellite Integration Building, or “clean-room”, where they could observe the SAOCOM 1A satellites before their launching in the last quarter of 2018, and the SAOCOM 1B in its different assembling stages. These Earth observation satellites, built in the context of the Argentine National Space Program of the Argentine National Space Activities Commission (CONAE, in Spanish) in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI, in Italian), are aimed to prevent, monitor, mitigate and assess natural and man-made disasters, and to measure soil moisture values to be applied in emergencies.
The tour included the Hi-Tech Test Center (CEATSA, in Spanish), company created in 2010 as the result of an agreement between the Argentine Company for Satellite Solutions S.A. (ARSAT) and INVAP with the aim of providing environmental testing services. In the Center’s facilities, the ministers were able to look at the SAOCOM A1, which is being tested and prepared for future validation tests to be carried out at the Córdoba Ground Station of CONAE, wherefrom the satellite will be operated once in orbit.
At the end of the tour, the General Manager of INVAP, Dr. Vicente Campenni, delivered a farewell speech and there was an exchange of presents and official photographs.
