This year the 2 June is particularly meaningful because it goes beyond the traditional Republic Day holiday in Italy. In 2020 it also marks the country moving again, after being serverly struck by the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months.
Telespazio therefore has decided to send out its best wishes and express its hopes to the whole of Italy, by lighting up the largest antenna at the Fucino Space Centre in Abruzzo, in the colours of the country's flag. With a diameter of 32 metres, the antenna is used for telemetry services and in-orbit satellite testing and, due to its characteristics; it could also be used for interspace missions to the ends of the solar system.
With its 170 satellite dishes over a 370,000 square metre area, the "Piero Fanti" Space Centre of Fucino is the most important teleport in the world for civilian use. Since 1963 Fucino has been managing essential services for all of us: putting satellites in orbit and controlling them; as well as telecommunications, television, and multimedia services.
It also houses Control Centres for strategic space programmes, like Galileo and COSMO SkyMed that, over this difficult time, have remained fully operational thanks to the commitment of Telespazio's workers, supporting Italian institutions.
