This year, thanks to the initiative promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Telespazio and e-GEOS, the National Space Day, in its second edition, has taken on a global and integrated dimension, consolidating our national system in the world.
The heart and driving force of the project is the Looking Beyond exhibition, which was created with more than 30 images acquired by the COSMO-Skymed radar satellite constellation (owned by ASI and Italian Minister of Defence), was processed by e-GEOS and was made available to the more than 50 countries that have joined the initiative worldwide.
The images offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of satellite technologies for Earth observation, land monitoring, emergency management, and the protection of natural and cultural heritage.
This opportunity was welcomed with great attention by many Italian Embassies and Cultural Institutes, which, on the opening of the exhibition, organized seminars and conferences on the centrality of space and satellite technologies of Earth observation. These initiatives involved very qualified audiences, promoted the exchange of knowledge and facilitated the meeting of common scientific and commercial interests.
In addition to the amazing images from space, there were many others protagonists of National Space Day 2022: the vast and extensive Italian diplomatic network in the world, national space agencies, major industries in the sector, representatives of institutions and the scientific and research world.
Looking Beyond firstly took place in Paris, Dec. 7 at the OECD headquarters where the Italian Ambassador H.E. Emanuela D'Alessandro, the Italian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Paris H.E. Ambassador Luca Sabbatucci, the Diplomatic Advisor Andrea Domeniconi and the Scientific Attaché Alessandro De Angelis welcomed the Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara and a large representation of students and professors.
At the same time, two seminars were held in Santiago de Chile and Mexico City. They were dedicated to space-based Earth observation services and image processing, which are important opportunities to explore possible new areas of collaboration between Italy, Chile and Mexico with the direct involvement of Telespazio. Speakers included colleagues Valerio Perusini and Nicolas De Gracia. This was followed by the scientific event on space collaboration between Italy and Brazil in the space sector, organized on Dec. 15 in Brasilia. It was attended by Marco Montrasi (Telespazio Brasil), Lucia Luzietti (e-GEOS), and Raul Silva (Telespazio Brasil).
A very important role, especially for its positive effects on the consolidation of relations between Italy and Japan, was played by the Sistema Paese meeting organized in Tokyo as part of the 2022 Nihombashi Space Week which was dedicated to bilateral collaborations in aerospace. The many qualified speakers once again highlighted the centrality of space and its relevant commercial potential. Raffaella Luglini and Luciana Di Domenico spoke for Telespazio and e-GEOS.
Following the virtual path created by the Looking Beyond images, from South America and Asia we arrive in Europe, particularly in Copenhagen, Lausanne, Prague and Lisbon, where important seminars were held with the main representatives of the scientific and industrial world of each country. Once again the direction and hospitality of the involved Italian Embassies was fundamental. In particular, the Italian Embassy in Switzerland organized a conference with Swiss and Italian astronauts, Representatives of national space agencies and major industries, and a technical workshop on the development of space technologies. Marco Brancati was representing Telespazio. Colleagues Erberto Ruggiero, Sandro Ponzi and Andrea Cardellicchio, on the other hand, participated in the Copenhagen, Prague and Lisbon initiatives.
A strong sign of the importance and value attributed to space and especially to the long and solid collaboration between Italy and the United States in this sector came from Washington. There, the Italian Embassy not only hosted the Looking Beyond exhibition, but also opened its doors to the American and international space community for a series of initiatives and bilateral meetings. On those occasions, it was recalled that Italy is among the few countries in the world with an industry that covers the entire space economy supply chain.
However, the journey to and from space did not end on Dec. 16. In fact, many initiatives will take place in the coming months of 2023 as well, reflecting the great interest and attention given to these issues: space is the future.
