L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano F rom Houston to Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, D e c e m b e r 1 2 marked the cele- bration of the launch of San Marco 1, Italy's first satel- l i t e , s e n t i n t o o r b i t o n D e c e m b e r 1 5 , 1 9 6 4 . T h i s milestone established Italy as a key player on the global space exploration stage. To highlight the contributions of Italian science and technolo- gy to humanity's progress, t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e Universe, and advancements in spaceflight, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organizes annual events and an information campaign on Space Day. These efforts are carried out in collaboration with the Italian research and industrial sectors, with sup- port from the country's diplo- matic network, cultural insti- tutions, and associations of Italian researchers and pro- fessionals abroad. Since 2021, the Italian Space Day has been cele- brated annually in Los Ange- les by the Italian Consulate General and the Italian Cul- tural Institute, in partnership with the Foundation of Ital- ian Scientists and Scholars in North America (ISSNAF). T h i s y e a r ' s e v e n t i n L o s Angeles featured a discussion on Italy's contributions to space exploration, focusing on recent missions to Europa and Mars. The panel includ- ed Dr. Alessandro Rettu- ra, a systems scientist and engineer at NASA/Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( w o r k i n g o n t h e E u r o p a Clipper mission); Stefano Cappucci, Senior Thermal Systems Engineer at Relativi- ty Space and former Thermal Systems Lead for the Ingen- uity Mars Helicopter; and F r a n c e s c o G r i l l i , V i c e President of Product Man- agement at Qualcomm Tech- n o l o g i e s , s p e c i a l i z i n g i n satellite communication and positioning systems. The dis- cussion was moderated by Emmy-winning journalist a n d p r o d u c e r J e r e m y Spiegel. "Space has always fasci- n a t e d h u m a n i t y : f r o m a n c i e n t m y t h s t o p o e t r y , m u s i c , a n d a r t , i t h a s inspired dreams and creativi- ty. It's no surprise that many children dream of becoming astronauts. I, too, once had that dream, and I believe many of you did as well," said E m a n u e l e A m e n d o l a , Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, during the event's opening remarks. "Tonight, we have the privi- l e g e o f h e a r i n g f r o m renowned researchers who h a v e t u r n e d c h i l d h o o d dreams into groundbreaking achievements in space explo- ration. Their work not only advances science but also c o n t i n u e s t o i n s p i r e o u r imagination, making us even prouder to be Italian." "The Italian space adven- ture began with the launch of the San Marco 1 satellite, which made Italy the third country—after the United S t a t e s a n d t h e S o v i e t Union—to send a domestical- ly produced satellite into orbit," noted Consul Gene- ral Raffaella Valentini. "Over time, Italy has earned a leadership position in the global space industry, con- tributing to key missions such as Cassini, Artemis, Cosmos, and Canadarm, and playing a pivotal role in ESA and NASA missions. In 2024, the Italian aerospace sector recorded significant growth, with total revenues reaching €18 billion. The Italian Aero- space Day provided us with an opportunity to celebrate these extraordinary achieve- ments and the valuable col- laboration with the United States in this field." "When we think of Italy, w e t h i n k o f t i m e l e s s a r t , breathtaking landscapes, and extraordinary cuisine. But t o n i g h t , w e ' r e v e n t u r i n g b e y o n d , i n t o t h e c o s m o s , where Italy has been a pio- n e e r f o r c e n t u r i e s , " s a i d Spiegel. "Think back to the 1500s, when Galileo observed the heavens through the first telescope, opening our eyes to the universe. Fast forward to 1964, when Italy, as Consul V a l e n t i n i h i g h l i g h t e d , became the third country— after the USA and USSR—to b u i l d a n d l a u n c h i t s o w n satellite. And perhaps not everyone knows that a signifi- cant portion of the Interna- tional Space Station was con- structed by Italian companies under the guidance of the Italian Space Agency." Earlier this year, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter con- cluded its mission after com- pleting 72 remarkable flights on Mars. The helicopter flew 30 times farther than initially planned, becoming the first aircraft to operate on another planet and proving the feasi- bility of aerial exploration on distant worlds. Its final flight took place on January 18, 2024. Stefano Cappucci, now S e n i o r T h e r m a l S y s t e m s Engineer at Relativity Space, led the thermal systems team for the Ingenuity Mars Heli- copter. W h e n a s k e d a b o u t t h e biggest challenge of working on a project in a hostile envi- ronment like Mars, Cappucci explained: "The key differ- ence is that a flagship mis- sion like Europa Clipper is considered a high-budget, low-risk project with long d e v e l o p m e n t t i m e l i n e s . I n g e n u i t y , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , w a s a t e c h n o l o g y d e m o n s t r a t o r , w i t h t i g h t budgets, a smaller team, and much higher risk. We had to push the boundaries of tech- nology to prove that flying on Mars was possible. The plan- et presents enormous chal- lenges: its extremely thin atmosphere demanded inno- vative solutions to overcome significant technological hur- dles. But Ingenuity added a n e w d i m e n s i o n t o M a r s exploration. Until then, we had relied on landers, rovers, and orbiters. With Ingenuity, we demonstrated the ability to cover much greater dis- t a n c e s i n l e s s t i m e a n d proved that powered flight on Mars is achievable." Reflecting on Ingenuity's legacy for future technolo- gies, Cappucci said: "One of its greatest successes has been inspiring new genera- tions. Aerospace engineering programs saw record enroll- ments, and we received over- whelming public support, which is critical. People need to understand what we do and why it matters. These missions often take decades. For instance, the Mars Sam- ple Return mission aims to bring Martian soil samples back to Earth, but it will take decades to complete. The sci- entists who will study those samples might be in elemen- tary school today. That's why it's vital to inspire future gen- e r a t i o n s — a c c o m p l i s h i n g feats of this scale requires the dedication of multiple gener- ations." Space Day: celebrating Italy's achievements in space exploration SILVIA NITTOLI From right to left: Consul Lorenza Errighi; Consul General Raffaella Valentini; moderator Jeremy Spiegel; Alessandro Rettura; Francesco Grilli; Stefano Cappucci; Cinzia Zuffada; IIC Director Emanuele Amendola (Photo: Tom Bertolotti) From left, Francesco Grilli, Stefano Cappucci, Alessandro Rettura and moderator Jeremy Spiegel on stage (Photo: Tom Bertolotti) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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