The Italian Space Agency ( ASI : Italian. Agenzia Spaziale Italiana ) was founded in 1988 with the goal of developing, coordinating and implementing Italy's space projects. It was established at the Italian Ministry of Universities and Scientific and Technical Research and represents the country's interests in the European Space Agency (ESA).
The headquarters of the agency is in Rome . There are also two operational centers in Matera and Trapani . The agency’s structure includes the San Marco Cosmodrome , located in the territorial waters of Kenya , which is currently not in operation. ASI's annual budget is around € 1 billion.
The Italian space agency and its main subcontractor, the Italian company Alenia Aeronautica (formerly Alenia Spazio, Alenia Space), created or participated in the creation of a number of satellites, interplanetary stations, Vega light launch vehicles and have unique manufacturing experience in Europe commissioned by ESA and NASA of space-tight space modules: Spacebus Space Shuttle Laboratory, ISS modules Columbus , Harmony , Calm , Dome and space shuttle multipurpose supply modules launched on the Shuttle (MPLM) Leonardo (then the Sealed Multifunctional Module (PMM) ), Raphael and Donatello.
Activities
- Various experiments in collaboration with NASA : ( TSS-1 , LAGEOS II , SAR X , UV-STAR , SRTM ...).
- BeppoSAX , an orbital x-ray observatory .
- Cassini - Huygens , Saturn's first artificial satellite, in collaboration with NASA and ESA.
- Mars Express , jointly with ESA.
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter , in collaboration with NASA.
- Sicral 1 / 1B / 2 , military communications satellites.
- Swift , registration and observation of gamma-ray bursts .
- AGILE , observation of x-ray and gamma radiation.
- COSMO-SkyMed , PCA -satellite .
- LARES , a geodetic satellite planned for launch on the new Vega LV.
- Vega , an ESA lightweight launch vehicle.
- Spacelab laboratory, two sealed modules.
- ISS Columbus Modules for ESA and Harmony , Calm , Dome for NASA.
- Multipurpose supply modules of the ISS (MPLM) Leonardo (then the Sealed Multifunction Module (PMM) ), Rafael and Donatello.
Notes
Links
- Official site (English) (Italian)