Presentation
The ATLAS experimental flight centers, belonging to the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies | CATEC, offer the international aeronautical community a segregated airspace of 1,000 km2 equipped with specific facilities for UAS, with excellent weather conditions: more than 300 days of sunshine a year, high availability to execute flight campaigns, and a clear customer orientation, highlighting the agility and confidentiality in each project.
ATLAS ALPHA | Experimental Center
The ATLAS Experimental Center houses the first facilities in Spain dedicated entirely to the UAS and RPAS technologies experimentation.
These facilities located in Villacarillo (Jaen, Spain), are pioneering infrastructures in Europe, being the first designed and created specifically for use as a research and validation center for this type of aircraft, an area with the greatest global projection within the international aerospace industry.
ATLAS BRAVO | Tactical Center
This second center is suitable for both UAS and general aviation experiments, which provides a good environment for the preparation of Urban Air Mobility.
It is located 9 km from the segregated flight area of the ATLAS ALPHA Experimental Center, which allows the creation of an air corridor between both entities.
These facilities are located in Beas de Segura (Jaen, Spain), and are characterized by a double runway, hangars and a large space for the implementation of new infrastructure according to the needs of the operation.
Expertise
ATLAS ALPHA was the first Spanish center created to validate UAS technology. Since 2014, more than 80 national and international UAS/RPAS companies have conducted their flight campaigns and technology validation satisfactorily at our facilities.
ATLAS centers are at the forefront of innovation; in recent years, over 60 R&D projects have been validated at our facilities.
Key technologies being validated at ATLAS centers to increase safety in autonomous air transportation (for both passengers and cargo) include precision navigation, automatic collision detection and avoidance (DAA) systems using onboard sensors, and intelligent and safe landing. Additionally, we have hosted anti-drone systems companies as well as companies working on High Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS) platforms, which are unmanned aerial vehicles capable of operating autonomously in the stratosphere for extended periods. We have also had campaigns from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and the large companies that are developing and manufacturing the air taxis of the future are validating their platforms at the ATLAS Centers.
ATLAS centers have experts in safety and permit acquisition through Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA), following the guidelines of the State Air Safety Agency (AESA). ATLAS participates in major European working groups to define requirements and compliance means, which serve as the manufacturers’ guide for validating and using their aircraft for their intended purposes.
Location
ATLAS ALPHA | Experimental Center
Camino de Herrera, s/n
23300 Villacarrillo (Jaén)
38° 8′ 16.73″, -3° 10′ 25.84″
38.137983, -3.173847
ATLAS BRAVO | Tactical Center
El Cornicabral
23280 Beas de Segura (Jaén)
38° 16′ 16.54″, -2° 56′ 49.43″
38.272789, -2.951185