The present and the future of the COSMO-SkyMed satellite system, which in ten years since the launch of the first satellite, carried out in 2007, has changed the way we observe the Earth, ensuring fundamental information for our safety and to understand the phenomena that affect the our Planet. This was discussed at the MAXXI in Rome by the Minister of Education, University and Research, Valeria Fedeli, the Secretary General of Defense and National Director of Armaments, Gen. SA Carlo Magrassi, the President of the Italian Space Agency, Roberto Battiston, and Leonardo's CEO, Alessandro Profumo, during the “Happy Birthday COSMO-SkyMed # 10” event.
The meeting celebrated the successes of Italy's most demanding enterprise in the field of Earth Observation and was an opportunity to emphasize the capabilities of the country system, which, thanks to the collaboration between organizations, , universities and industry, has been able to build an unparalleled set of satellites and secure a leading position in the sector worldwide. The event was not only the moment to remember the results achieved but it was above all an opportunity to look to the imminent future, when COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) will be launched, the new constellation that will be increasingly in step with the needs of security and control of the state of health of our planet.
COSMO-SkyMed is the only dual-use Earth observation constellation today existing globally. In the first ten years of activity has captured over 1 million radar scenes worldwide, watching 24 on Earth 24 hours in all weather conditions and visibility: from the contribution to national security to support populations affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes of L'Aquila in 2009 and of Amatrice of 2016, the cyclone Nargis in Burma in 2008 or Hurricane Harvey this year, from the monitoring of deforestation in the Amazon to the supply of data and tools for sustainable agriculture, from the control of UNESCO sites to monitor the receding of the ice in the polar regions, to the control of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon platform in the 2010.
Funded by the Italian Space Agency, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education, University and Research, the COSMO-SkyMed system is the fruit and expression of the best skills of the Italian space industry, with Leonardo and its joint ventures Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, assisted by a significant number of Small and Medium Enterprises. In particular, Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%) is the prime contractor, responsible for the entire system, while Telespazio (Leonardo 67%, Thales 33%) has created the ground segment and is hosting the center of command and control of the constellation. The COSMO-SkyMed data are marketed worldwide by e-GEOS, a joint venture between Telespazio (80%) and ASI (20%).
Starting from the 2018, the second generation of the system, also developed by Leonardo and its joint ventures, will progressively take the place of the one currently in operation, improving efficiency and capacity in key sectors for the safety and protection of our planet such as the monitoring of the territory and the sustainable management of its resources, the security and management of natural events and emergencies, the fight against the effects of climate change.
The President of ASI, Roberto Battiston, stressed :
COSMO-SkyMed "is a fundamental asset not only of the Italian space system but of our country in several respects: it is in fact a program that keeps Italy on the technological frontier and allows us to play a role of primary importance at international level on issues of security and emergency management. For years - he added - the constellation is used massively for an in-depth analysis of the most important "air conditioners" on the Earth, such as the polar regions, areas that have an extremely important impact on the climate, the weather, and the functioning of the entire ecosystem. terrestrial. That's why from today COSMO-SkyMed will start tweeting on environmental issues and climate change and giving the public a constant update on such important issues ", concluded Battiston.
Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo's Managing Director:
"COSMO-SkyMed is a flagship of Italian space technology in the world and an essential component for its development. The information coming from this system, unique in its kind, prove every day very important to observe and understand the Planet and to guarantee our safety. COSMO-SkyMed has also allowed the industry of our country to acquire leading expertise in both radar and Earth observation services and geo-information applications: over the years, we have made agreements for the use of constellation data in Europe, Asia, South America, USA and Canada, gaining a leading role in this global market. At 10 years since the launch of the first satellite, COSMO-SkyMed represents a strategic infrastructure for Italy; keeping it at the forefront with the launch of second generation satellites that allow a complete renewal of the constellation and develop further generations of the system is essential to preserve the primacy of our country in an ever-changing market ".
Insights
THEItalian Space Agency was born in 1988, to give a unique coordination to the efforts and investments that Italy has dedicated to the sector since the XNUMXs. It is a national public body, which depends on the Ministry of University and Research and works in collaboration with various other departments. In less than two decades it has established itself as one of the most important global players in the space sector. ASI today has a leading role both at a European level, where Italy is the third country that contributes most to the European Space Agency, and at a global level. It has a close and continuous collaboration relationship with the ASA, which leads it to participate in many of the most interesting scientific missions of recent years.
Leonardo it is among the top ten companies in the world in Aerospace, Defense and Security and the main Italian industrial company. Operational since January 2016 as a one company organized into seven business divisions (Helicopters; Aircraft; Aerostructures; Avionics and Space Systems; Electronics for Land and Naval Defense; Defense Systems; Security and Information Systems), Leonardo competes on the most important international markets leveraging on their areas of technological and product leadership. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2016 Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of 12 billion euros and boasts a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, the USA and Poland.