Yesterday, the CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Center) hosted Samantha Cristoforetti, astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA), first Italian woman in the crews of the European Space Agency and first European woman commander of the International Space Station to strengthen the collaboration in the space sector and promote the development of European aerospace technologies.
During the meeting, the main projects of the Center were presented, with a focus on space activities and collaborations with ESA. Engineer Cristoforetti visited the most important plants and laboratories: the Plasma Wind Tunnel (PWT), the Space Qualification Laboratory (LQS) and the Materials Laboratory, and then met the CIRA employees in the conference room, where he held a short speech.
Focus of the visit, ESA’s LEO Cargo Return Service program which aims to provide Europe with an independent cargo service for the re-entry and recovery of payloads from space stations in low orbit, in which CIRA will be involved to develop re-entry technologies atmospheric.
The President of CIRA, Antonio Blandini, underlined the importance of European collaboration in the space sector and the key role of the Center in research programmes. “This visit highlights our commitment to national and international strategies for space exploration.”
