The Air Force will be on board the mission Axiom Space's Ax-3, which is scheduled for launch no earlier than January 2024 and will carry Col. Walter Villadei to the International Space Station alongside an all-European crew, officially announced today by the American company.
It Secretary of Defence Guido Crosetto commented: “The presence of an Italian official on board the mission is a fundamental step in the development of Italy's space strategy, in which the Defence sector shares and supports the efforts of the Government, institutions, and companies of the country. This ensures Italy's projection towards an increasingly active presence in the field of national defence and security, while simultaneously seizing the opportunities offered by the New Space Economy.”.
It Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. S.A. Luca Goretti added: ”On behalf of the entire Armed Force, I express satisfaction with Axiom Space's announcement, which confirms our capability for training and supporting human activities in Space, a natural extension of the aerial domain.
This activity represents a prime opportunity for Italy to continue promoting its commitment to safe and effective access to Space, and will also allow for the further specialisation and enhancement of national expertise in the Space domain, thanks in part to collaboration with academia, industry, and the entrepreneurial sector.
ItItalian Air Force: soon on board the ISS to contribute to Italy’s space strategy
With the aim of contributing to the development of safe and effective Italian access to Space, the Italian Air Force will participate with Col. Villadei in the Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station.
The Italian Air Force will be on board Axiom Space's Ax-3 mission, scheduled to be launched no earlier than January 2024 and which will take Col. Walter Villadei to the International Space Station, with an all-European crew, as announced today by Axiom Space.
IItalian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto commented “The presence of an Italian officer on board the mission represents a fundamental step in the development of Italy’s space strategy, in which the Italian Defence shares and supports the efforts of the government, institutions, and Italian companies. In this way, Italy’s projection towards an increasingly active presence in the defence and national security arena is guaranteed, while simultaneously seizing the opportunities offered by the New Space Economy.”
IItalian Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Luca Goretti added: “On behalf of the entire Armed Force, I express my satisfaction with the announcement of Axiom Space, which confirms our capacity to train and support human activities in Space, a natural extension of the air domain.”
This activity represents a privileged opportunity for Italy to continue to promote its commitment to safe and effective access to Space, and will also allow the further specialisation and enhancement of national expertise in the Space domain, thanks also to collaboration with academic, industrial and business worlds.
