EMM is the national program run by INAF, ASI, and CNR aimed at prototyping scientific instruments for a future Italian lunar base. Under this program, initial development funding was allocated for the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna (SDSA), designed to ensure communications between the future lunar base and Earth. In this context, ASI has promoted the upgrade of the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna as national infrastructure for space communications, intended to support robotic and human Deep Space and Near Earth exploration missions as well as ambitious scientific programs.
Thanks to the work carried out, the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT), the 64-meter antenna located at San Basilio (Cagliari), is now a dual-use infrastructure: it continues to support INAF's radio astronomy activities while, at the same time, enabling ASI to operate the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna, providing communication, navigation, and tracking services for Deep Space and Near Earth missions, thanks to the dedicated equipment developed as part of the project.
The completion of the EMM Delivery M4 milestone marks the end of the PNRR phase, but the SDSA upgrade project is continuing with activities funded by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, dedicated to developing the additional infrastructure and hardware/software equipment that will complete the station.
Within the scope of the PNRR-funded activities alone, the project involved the direct participation of more than 50 professionals from Telespazio, part of the Leonardo group, for a total of approximately 15,000 hours of work, in addition to the contribution of an extensive industrial supply chain comprising 3 subcontractors (OHB, Nautilus, and the University of Bologna's Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research in Aerospace), 23 direct suppliers, and about 6 main sub-suppliers.
The complexity of the initiative is further highlighted by the management of 1,261 system requirements and the production of approximately 300 technical documents, supporting the design, integration, and validation of the solutions developed. From an implementation standpoint, the project led to the definition and creation of a detailed product tree that today includes 179 items among hardware components, software, and integrated systems, contributing to the full evolution of SDSA's operational capabilities.
The project will continue with the construction of a new Data Processing Center (CED) and a dedicated laboratory, which will house next-generation technological infrastructure. These include an advanced time and frequency distribution system, and new systems for mission data acquisition, processing, and archiving. Operational tools for mission planning and execution will also be implemented, along with software solutions for monitoring and controlling the entire site, tracking mission performance, and managing logistics and operations.
This evolution consolidates the technological transformation path of the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna, strengthening the role of the Italian Space Agency as the operator of an advanced infrastructure integrated into international frameworks supporting space missions. Through SDSA, ASI will work in synergy with NASA's network (Deep Space Network) and ESA's network (ESTRACK), giving Italy an autonomous national capability in the field of Deep Space communications and fostering new collaborations with research institutions, universities, and international partners.
Reaching the M4 milestone confirms Telespazio's role as a leading industrial partner in the development of advanced ground infrastructure for space telecommunications, and underscores the ability of the Italian ecosystem – institutions, research bodies, and industry – to collaborate effectively on high-tech projects.