Samantha Cristoforetti and the Minerva mission’s experiments were the focus of a press event organized by the ASI and the ESA. The event, held in hybrid mode at the ASI headquarters, included remote participation from Minister Vittorio Colao, ASI President Giorgio Saccoccia, and ESA Director David Parker. Minister Patrizio Bianchi sent a greeting message.
The first part of the event featured presentations on the ASI-selected experiments by the principal investigators. ASI’s Director of Science and Research, Mario Cosmo, welcomed the attendees, followed by interventions from Barbara Negri, Head of Human Flights and Scientific Experimentation at ASI, and the principal investigators. The moderation was handled by Gabriele Mascetti, Head of the Scientific Coordination Unit.
During her second long-term mission on the ISS, Samantha discussed her life on the space station and the various scientific experiments she will participate in. These experiments cover multiple areas of medicine and nutrition, including six conducted by the Italian Space Agency.
Samantha also announced the winning name for the future satellite constellation for Earth observation in low orbit, which was selected through the “Spazio alle idee” competition launched by the Department of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Education, and Italian Space Agency.
Giorgio Saccoccia, ASI President, highlighted Italy’s contribution to building the ISS and expressed belief in the Minerva mission. Minister Colao praised Samantha and the other astronauts aboard the ISS for their work and emphasized the importance of space for science and peace. Minister Bianchi expressed gratitude to all the students who participated in the “Spazio alle Idee” competition and emphasized the government’s commitment to stimulating innovation and creating job opportunities in the space sector.
Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.