What Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA does

Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) is a Spanish public research institution jointly operated by CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) and INTA (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial), with headquarters at the INTA campus in Torrejón de Ardoz and a secondary site at ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villanueva de la Cañada. Founded in 1999 and employing 145 staff across four departments (Astrophysics; Planetary Science and Habitability; Advanced Instrumentation; Molecular Evolution), it conducts interdisciplinary research on the origin, evolution, and distribution of life and on planetary habitability. The center has been designated a María de Maeztu Excellence Unit (2018-2022) in recognition of research quality.

CAB's core technical outputs are flight-qualified scientific instruments and laboratory facilities for astrobiology. Key instruments include SOLID/LDChip for biomarker detection, MEDA (operating on NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover), REMS (previously operated on Curiosity), the CARMENES exoplanet-hunting spectrograph, HARMONI for the Extremely Large Telescope, and Raman spectroscopy contributions to ExoMars, Mars 2020, and MMX. Laboratory infrastructure includes the MARTE simulation chamber, which recreates Martian diurnal and climatic conditions for testing organisms and instruments. Research outputs are disseminated through open-access publications (including in Science and Nature Astronomy) and outreach programming.

CAB operates as a non-commercial public entity and does not sell products or services. It is funded through Spanish government appropriations via CSIC and INTA, competitive European and national research grants (including the María de Maeztu program), and contracts with space agencies (NASA, ESA) for instrument development. Its stakeholders are space agencies (purchasing instruments and supporting research), the academic research community (collaboration and training), and the general public (science communication and education). Its go-to-market is community-led: scientific publications, conference participation, training programs (PhD Days, EAI Academy, CAB-NASA School), and public outreach via its Scientific Culture Unit.

Name

Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA

Legal name

Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA

Website

https://cab.inta-csic.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) is a Spanish public research center, jointly operated by CSIC and INTA, that conducts interdisciplinary astrobiology research and develops flight-qualified scientific instruments — including MEDA on NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance — for space agencies and the academic community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Astrobiology Research Services

NAICS

Space Research and Technology (927), Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

Keywords

• Astrobiology research
• Space instrumentation
• Planetary science
• Exoplanet detection
• Life detection instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrejón de Ardoz

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: CAB operates as a joint initiative between CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) and INTA (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial), funded through Spanish government research budgets, European research grants, and space agency contracts for mission instrumentation.
2. Space Agency Contracts: Development of scientific instruments for ESA and NASA missions, funded through space agency research and development contracts.
3. European Research Grants: Funding from European research programs including the María de Maeztu Excellence recognition for research excellence.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) is a public research institution that conducts interdisciplinary astrobiology research on the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. It develops flight-qualified scientific instruments for space exploration missions (notably NASA Mars missions and ESA programs) and operates laboratory simulation facilities such as the MARTE chamber. The center also delivers training programs including PhD days, seminars, and the CAB-NASA Astrobiology School.

Product overview

Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) is a Spanish astrobiology research center operated jointly by CSIC and INTA, not a commercial product company. The institution does not offer commercial products or services. Instead, it conducts fundamental research in astrobiology and develops scientific instruments for space exploration missions. Key instruments include SOLID (Signs Of Life Detector) for biomarker detection in planetary exploration, MEDA (Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer) developed for NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, the CARMENES instrument for exoplanet detection, and HARMONI for the Extremely Large Telescope. The center also operates laboratory facilities such as the MARTE simulation chamber for recreating Martian conditions. Research activities span multiple projects including OPENS, SUL4LIFE, PLATO, MarsFirstWater, RamOnMars, COOL, CHIMOSS, CAMELIA, and others focusing on prebiotic chemistry, planetary habitability, and the search for life in the universe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Academia MdM: María de Maeztu Academy - training and professional development program for CAB and INTA researchers
• CARMENES
• SOLID
• MEDA

Products and services

• SOLID (Signs Of Life Detector) A life detection instrument designed for planetary exploration, used for detecting molecular biomarkers in extraterrestrial environments, including LDChip technology. Developed for space agency missions.
• MEDA (Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer) A third-generation environmental station developed by CAB for the study of Mars, part of the MARS 2020 mission. MEDA measures environmental parameters on the Martian surface including temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind.
• CARMENES Instrument An innovative instrument designed to search for Earth-like planets around cool stars through high-precision radial velocity measurements, part of a Spanish-German consortium.
• HARMONI for ELT A spectrograph being developed for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) project to explore galaxies in the early Universe and characterize exoplanets in detail.
• MARTE Simulation Chamber A Mars simulation chamber used to recreate Martian climatic conditions and the diurnal/nocturnal cycle of the red planet for experiments testing extremophile organisms and instrument performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• MEDA instrument operating on Mars 2020 Perseverance rover
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB is a joint initiative between CSIC and INTA. CSIC provides institutional framework, funding access, and research infrastructure as Spain's largest public research organization. The partnership enables access to broader CSIC research networks and resources.
• INTA (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB is co-located with INTA facilities and operates as a joint CSIC-INTA center. INTA provides space program infrastructure, engineering capabilities, and flight qualification expertise for space instrumentation development.
• ESA (European Space Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB hosts facilities at ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villanueva de la Cañada. CAB researchers participate in ESA missions including PLATO, and ESA provides access to mission opportunities and data.
• NASA Astrobiology ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB participates in NASA astrobiology research and has provided instruments (MEDA, REMS) for NASA Mars missions. The partnership enables collaboration in planetary exploration and life detection research.
• European Astrobiology Institute (EAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB is a founding member of the European Astrobiology Institute, collaborating on EAI Academy training programs, joint seminars, and European astrobiology education initiatives.
• CARMENES ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB is part of the CARMENES consortium, an innovative instrument for searching Earth-like planets around cool stars. This involves collaboration with multiple Spanish and German institutions for exoplanet research.
• European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB participates in EANA activities connecting European astrobiology researchers and institutions.
• Iberoamerican Astrobiology NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB participates in the Red Iberoamericana de Astrobiología connecting astrobiology research across Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.
• UIMP (Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB collaborates with UIMP for the annual CAB-NASA Astrobiology School, providing specialized astrobiology education.
• UAH (Universidad de Alcalá de Henares)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAB collaborates with UAH on the Doctorate Program in Space Research and Astrobiology, providing research training for doctoral students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Astronomy: German publicly funded astronomy and exoplanet research institute contributing to CARMENES and other ground-based exoplanet instrumentation. Strong peer in astrophysics instrumentation and European research frameworks.
• Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP): French CNRS-affiliated research unit combining astrophysics and planetary science with instrument development for ESA and NASA missions. Closely comparable in scope, mission involvement pattern, and continental European institutional model.
• SETI Institute: US non-profit research center focused on astrobiology, exoplanet research, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Directly comparable mission and scientific scope to CAB's astrobiology and habitability programs.
• NASA Ames Research Center: Home of the NASA Astrobiology Institute and a leading developer of life-detection and planetary science instruments. Directly comparable to CAB as a public astrobiology center building flight instruments for NASA missions.

Others

• European Astrobiology Institute (EAI): Pan-European coordination network for astrobiology research and training, of which CAB is a founding member. More of an ecosystem consortium than a direct competitor, but defines the broader European astrobiology agenda.

Emerging players

• UK Centre for Astrobiology: University of Edinburgh-based astrobiology center focusing on habitability, life detection, and extreme environment research. Smaller and more academic than CAB but overlapping scientific scope.
• Blue Marble Space Institute of Science: Non-profit astrobiology research collaborative working on habitability, biosignatures, and space mission science. Comparable interdisciplinary research agenda to CAB but operating on a smaller, distributed scale.

Broad incumbents

• Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES): French national space agency coordinating planetary missions and instrumentation contracts. Functions as a counterpart to ESA/NASA collaboration patterns CAB depends on, and indirectly competes for the same ESA mission slots.
• German Aerospace Center (DLR): Germany's national aerospace research center, comparable in institutional role to INTA. Operates across planetary instrumentation, space missions, and astrobiology research with significantly larger budget scale.
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL): Operates most NASA planetary missions that CAB contributes instruments to (Perseverance, Curiosity, Mars Sample Return). A broader incumbent with overlapping instrumentation capability but a much wider mission portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/c_astrobiologia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CentrodeAstrobiologia
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentroAstrobiologia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-de-astrobiologia-csic-inta-
• Instagraminstagram.com/centro_astrobiologia

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA