The Centro Coordinador de Emergencias y Seguridad (CECOES 112) of the Canary Islands received the doctor Fernando Guillén who represents the NASA in Macaronesia. According to the Gobierno de Canarias Guillén thanked the emergency control centre network and its staff for helping prepare medical and operational procedures that could be relevant in connection with the lunar programme Artemis .
Those attending the reception included the Deputy Minister for Emergencies and Water, Marcos Lorenzo, the Director-General for Emergencies, Fernando Figuereo, the Director of 112 Canarias, Moisés Sánchez, and the head of the Civil Protection and Emergency Assistance Service, Montse Román. No specific agreements were announced; the regional government described it as an official NASA thank-you ceremony.
The background is a visit by a NASA delegation in mid-April 2026, during which representatives of the space agency inspected Tenerife healthcare facilities and the CECOES 112 command centre. The aim was to assess the capacity of the Canary Islands’ infrastructure to handle potential Artemis-related emergencies, such as medical care or the coordination of external rescue operations in the Atlantic. According to the regional government, technical resources, staff and the operation of the control centre were demonstrated.
NASA’s Artemis programme aims to return humans to the Moon. Alongside launch and landing plans, international support networks are also being assessed so that a rapid response would be possible in the rare event of unforeseen scenarios along transatlantic corridors. In the view of those involved, the Canary Islands’ geographical location and existing rescue and healthcare infrastructure could make the archipelago relevant to such situations.
Statements attributed to the regional government underline the importance of smooth coordination between control centres, medical services and other emergency responders. However, questions remain: no reliable information is yet available on formal agreements between NASA and Spanish or Canary Islands authorities, areas of responsibility, liability issues or financial arrangements. It is also unclear which specific protocols would apply in an emergency and how often exercises involving international partners are expected to take place.
For the Canary Islands, the recognition could lead to closer cooperation, additional training and targeted investment in emergency equipment. The key question will be whether the exploratory discussions lead to binding procedures—and how these are coordinated between the relevant regional, national and international authorities.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).