The delegation met with the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, on which occasion the potential for collaboration with the University of La Serena was highlighted. 

Know the activities that the University of La Serena is carrying out or plans to carry out in the area of ​​the space situation, based on the agreement reached with the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), related to the project between the Network of Falcon Telescopes, the Mamalluca Observatory and the ULS, was the main purpose of the meeting held by the Rector of the university, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, and the delegations from the US Air Force Research Office and of the Special Operations Group (GOE) of the Chilean Air Force, headed by Dr. Charles Matson, principal scientist of the North American organization, and the commander of the GOE, Hernán Tello. 

Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Latin American Aerospace Research and Development Office (SOARD) - the Scientific Research Office (AFOSR), and the Center for Research and Development in Aerospace Sciences of the Aeronautical Polytechnic Academy of the FACH, the academic vice-rector of the ULS, Dr. Jorge Catalán, the director of the institution's Physics Department, Dr. Pedro Vega, the unit's academic and coordinator of the Falcon-Mamalluca-ULS project, Dr. Amelia Ramírez, and the researcher Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. José Luis Nilo.

The meeting held at the Central House of the state campus was part of the various activities that the delegations carry out in the Coquimbo Region, mainly focused on learning more details about the aforementioned project and which is related to the robotic telescope that has been in operation for a few months. installed in the Cerro Mamalluca Observatory and which is linked to a global network to study various aspects of astronomy. This project was carried out through an agreement between the United States Air Force Academy -through SOARD-, the Physics Department of the University of La Serena and the observatory of the Illustrious Municipality of Vicuña. The agreement aims to work jointly with the Falcon Telescope Network (FTN), which is a global network of small aperture telescopes, used mainly for the collection of satellite observations and characterization, and also for astronomical research in the that collaborators around the world partner with educational institutions.

The Rector of the ULS, along with thanking the delegation for the visit, highlighted how important it is for the University to strengthen its astronomy and space science activities. "We hope to be able to work with you, we are a University of the State of Chile that, within its academic activities, considers it very important to develop this area, especially due to the skies that our region has and the presence of observatories with which we have alliances," he said. the highest university authority. 

For his part, Dr. Matson expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of an FTN telescope in the region, which will allow work on what is known as space surveillance. The scientist also highlighted that for the same reason, "it is important to have collaborators in the area", an opinion similar to that of the GOE commander, Hernán Tello, who maintained that "we are very motivated to generate collaboration and joint projects" with the university. . 

In this regard, the director of the Department of Physics, Dr. Pedro Vega, stated that "we believe that technological development, connected with space science, is fundamental for the country (...), that is why we have taken on that challenge and a lot can be done together”, also highlighting that the University and the Department have been promoting, for years, the development of astronomy and space physics. 

Delegation activities 

It should be noted that the delegation's program of activities includes tours of the FTN telescope facilities, located at the Mamalluca Observatory, and meetings on the Falcon-Mamalluca-ULS project, the capabilities of the Earth Observation Satellite System operated by the GOE, and the potential of its use based on examples of images obtained by the FASat-Charlie satellite. Expositions will also be given about the FASat-Charlie satellite to the students of Environmental Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Bachelor of Physics and Bachelor of Astronomy at the University.