Portuguese Space Agency organized the New Space Atlantic Summit on May 13 and 14, 2025, an event considered to be one of the most important national gatherings focused on Space. Held under the theme “The Future of Space in Portugal,” the summit brought together industry, academia, and the public sector to discuss the growth of the national space economy and technological innovation.
In this context, Carlos Fernandes, Senior Researcher at Instituto de Telecomunicações and Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, was honored with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award (“Prémio Carreira”) in recognition of his outstanding professional career and remarkable contributions to the development of space science and technology in Portugal.
Carlos Fernandes has dedicated more than four decades to teaching and research in telecommunications, playing a key role in establishing Portugal’s presence in this field. He has led landmark projects, developed critical infrastructure for mobile communications research, and directly contributed to the country’s technological innovation. He was a pioneer in linking telecommunications with space, becoming a recognized reference in the field. He teaches satellite systems, conducts research on antennas for space communications, and has been involved in several projects supported by the European Space Agency, helping to strengthen Portugal’s presence in technologies that support space activities.
However, his impact goes beyond projects and results, it is measured by how he has educated and continues to educate generations of engineers, how he mentors researchers, and how he fosters institutional growth, particularly at Instituto Superior Técnico and Instituto de Telecomunicações, where he has built a solid career by combining advanced research with a long-standing commitment to education.
"I received this award from PT Space with great satisfaction. It is an encouragement for strengthening the perspective of scientific advancement in IT and IST, hand in hand with practical engineering, involving students in all phases of the R&D process. I thank PT Space’s President, Engineer Ricardo Conde (on the left side of the photo), for this initiative. I share the merit of this award with the team that has long worked with me, namely Jorge Costa, Sérgio Matos, and João Felício, the ISTnanosatlab team, technicians, and a long list of MSc and PhD students who have contributed to this journey over the years,” said Professor Carlos Fernandes.
Photo credits: Agência Espacial Portuguesa / Atelier Obscura
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