Agreement signed between the US and Italy for the next mission to the Moon. It was signed by the NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine and Riccardo Fraccaro, Undersecretary of the Prime Minister with responsibility for aerospace policies.
Scientists and the world of our local industry will collaborate on three strands. On the construction of the house-laboratory where the astronauts will live and on the development of technologies to ensure the carrying out of the missions. The research will involve scientists from different disciplines ranging from biology to astronomy. A sophisticated telecommunication network will be studied both for surface explorations and during the journey between the orbital constellations around the Earth's satellite.
The NASA program called Artemis has the ambition to bring a woman and a man to the lunar surface as early as 2024. A permanent settlement is also being studied by 2028.
In the meantime it was thought to build the lunar space station Gateway to facilitate operations in which Japan, Canada, Europe and Russia already participate.
The undersecretary commented on the important agreement Fraccaro"The whole will bring work to our industries which will realize the various parts developing innovations able to guarantee the survival of the astronauts. The government expects an investment of over a billion, setting in motion an economic return that will go far beyond. The aim is to involve, in addition to the large companies already engaged in the sector, other small and medium-sized companies that until now have never thought of working for space but given their skills they can find ways of development on the lunar frontier.».
Leonardo's CEO also intervened Alessandro Profumo"Our country, in addition to the important contribution on a technical and scientific level, will provide technologies for the moon landing systems and habitable modules with positive industrial effects for the entire supply chain and the related space ".
Leonardo therefore, in addition to active participation in programs to go to Mars soon, can also boast of being part of NASA's Artemis program for the next mission of historical caliber that will bring humans to the Moon again.
From the first rumors, the colonel of the Air Force and astronaut could be interested in the lunar mission Luke Parmitano and the ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.