As the dust settles on the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC2024) in Milan, which saw over 11,000 space enthusiasts and professionals converge, Italy continues to make waves in the space sector with its groundbreaking Space It Up initiative (also the name of a session at IAC2024).
The project’s objectives are:
● Promote innovation and expand core knowledge in space technologies
● Foster a sustainable future through space-based climate monitoring
● Ensure long-term human presence in extraterrestrial environments
● Strengthen Italy’s space ecosystem
Space It Up’s research spans nine crucial areas:
1. Enabling technologies for novel near-Earth and exploration missions
2. Advanced design and analysis of space missions and systems
3. Future imaging systems for microwave and optical remote sensing
4. Remote non-imaging / Energy particles
5. Planetary protection and geo-hazards mitigation
6. Protection of critical infrastructures and space weather
7. Space for sustainable development of the planet
8. Robotic and human exploration of extraterrestrial habitats
9. Habitat space and science
Funded by the Italian Space Agency (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) and the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), Space It Up is a €80 million initiative coordinated by the Politecnico di Torino, represents a unified effort of the Italian space community.
Space It UP brings together 13 Universities (Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, University of Naples Federico II, Sapienza Università di Roma, Università degli Studi di Padova, University of Trento, GSSI – Gran Sasso Science Institute, University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna), Università di Pisa, Politecnico di Bari, Università degli Studi di Firenze, University of Calabria and University of Rome Tor Vergata), 10 public and private research centres and 10 companies (Leonardo, Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, Altec SPA, e-GEOS, CIRA, SITAEL, ARGOTEC, Tyvak International and MAPSAT S.r.l.).
As we reflect on the success of IAC2024 in Milan and the ambitious scope of Space It Up, the time has come for a truly global effort, bringing together the world’s best universities, companies, and research centres in the space sector.
Imagine the breakthroughs we could achieve if initiatives like Space It Up were replicated and connected internationally. By fostering collaboration across borders, we could accelerate progress in addressing global challenges, from climate change to sustainable resource management, and push the boundaries of space exploration further than ever before
Space It Up: Italy’s Ambitious Space Research Initiative
