L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Describing the "longest brief mission" (intended to be 14 days but stretched to 21) is undeniably captivating. The docking phase, when the ISS, orbiting higher and slower, and the spacecraft, racing from below at higher speed, m u s t a l i g n p e r f e c t l y . T h e orbital mechanics necessitate a day and a half for proper alignment. Amidst the cosmic night, with Earth below, the journey takes you through a field of rocky debris, satel- l i t e s , a n d s p a c e t r a s h . "Watching the ISS draw near, the silence is remarkable. You expect mechanical sounds, the clanking of locks engag- ing, but there's nothing. After a brief pause for pressure equalization between Dragon and the ISS, the hatchway opens, leading to the custom- ary welcome ceremony." With eyes as blue as his flight suit, which proudly sports a gleaming Italian flag on the left arm, Villadei gen- erously described the incredi- ble voyage that took him to the laboratory 400 kilometers above Earth. His narrative spanned the extensive prepa- ration and his experiences in space, conducting experi- ments and following rigorous procedures, all as part of a mission that marked Italy's participation, coordinated for the first time by the Air Force. How did this mission come about? It originated from a vision of the Air Force which, last year, celebrated its 100th anniversary and has always seen space as a dimension to p r o j e c t i n t o . T h i s v i s i o n e x p a n d e d t o r e p r e s e n t a national effort, uniting the Italian Space Agency with fields of science, academia, industry, and governance. This collaborative model has even begun to pique interna- tional interest. I t a l y ' s p i v o t a l r o l e stretches back decades... This year marks the 60th anniversary of the San Marco satellite's orbit, Italy's pio- neering venture into artificial satellites. Thanks to the Air Force and General Broglio, Italy was the third nation to achieve this feat. The initia- tive took root in Apulia, home to an Air Force base instru- mental in the early satellite l a u n c h e s o f 1 9 6 4 . T o d a y , Apulia leads in space invest- ment, treating it as a key strategic sector brimming with potential. Italy remains at the forefront, integrating scientific, industrial, and aca- demic expertise to maintain its influential role. Cultivat- ing synergies and engaging the younger generation and businesses remains our strat- egy for international promi- nence. B u t f r o m t h a t v a n t a g e point, what does Italy look like? On his flight, hurtling at 28,000 km/h, experiencing r a p i d c y c l e s o f d a w n a n d dusk every 45 minutes, and orbiting Earth 16 times a day, the Italian astronaut man- aged to connect with his fam- i l y i n R o m e a t t h e e n d o f every day. From space, the Italian peninsula unfolded as "a breathtakingly extraordi- nary spectacle. During one of the initial nights aboard the ISS, we traced a path directly over the Alps and down the spine of the Apennines, in just 7 minutes: the cities of M i l a n , F l o r e n c e , R o m e , Naples, Calabria, and Sicily were illuminated. Imagine," he told us, "the sea's dark expanse at night, with Italy ablaze in light. The slender, elongated Boot surrounded entirely by the sea." A t t e n t i o n o n b o a r d i s always at its peak, yet it's impossible not to be moved. "The most astounding thing for me is the transition from night to day and vice versa. As the sun dips below the horizon, a veil of dark gray, then black, gradually spreads over the Earth. From the still- lit ISS, you can see the thin blue line of the atmosphere, this layer of gas that envelops our planet. Then, the ISS too enters darkness, and from the cupola, a new geography of l i g h t s u n f o l d s : A f r i c a i s almost entirely dark, Europe mostly lit. After 45 minutes, darkness gives way to light: there's just enough time to witness the line change from blue to slightly phosphores- cent, then to yellow-green, followed by orange-red-pur- ple. The sun peeks out, and in that instant, it's like being hit by a tsunami. It takes just 2 seconds from the first rays appearing on the horizon to t h e p o i n t w h e r e t h e s u n b e c o m e s t o o b r i g h t t o observe, the perception of colors completely enveloping you, forcing you to look away because the light doesn't even pass through the filter of the atmosphere." Villadei, always punctual, smiling, and focused, then spoke about the activities on board, the numerous experi- ments proposed by both the scientific and industrial com- munities, as well as the Min- istry of Defense and ASI, the national space agency. From tests on the beta-amyloid protein, offering insights into treatments for neurodegener- a t i v e d i s e a s e s l i k e Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, to studies on female fertility under zero-gravity condi- tions, to monitoring space hazards to prevent collisions with orbiting systems. "On Earth, one might imagine space as vast and empty, yet it's becoming increasingly crowded. Whether looking from the Dragon or on the ISS, you continuously see satellites passing nearby. For the Air Force, I conducted an Villadei says that, from space, Italy is "a breathtaking, extraordinary spectacle. Imagine, the sea's dark expanse at night, with Italy ablaze in light. The slender, elongated Boot, surroun- ded entirely by the sea" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Villadei's official photo for the Ax-3 mission (Photo courtesy of Axiom Space) CONTINUED TO PAGE 8

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