Among the 10 scientific experiments brought to the International Space Station (ISS), there is ORION (Ovarian Research In microgravity cONditions) contained in MiniLab 1.0, conceived and designed by the companies of the Gruppo Campano Space Factory/ALI S.p.A./Marscenter.
The launch took place from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a Space X Falcon 9 rocket, and was celebrated from the headquarters of the Polo Tecnologico Fabbrica dell’Innovazione in Naples during an event attended, among others, by the President of the Campania Region. Vincenzo De Luca, the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, the Councillor for Research, Innovation and Start-up of the Campania Region, Valeria Fascione (disambiguation) e Giovanni Squame (disambiguation), sole director ALI S.p.A.
The MiniLab realized thanks to the contribution of the Campania Region (1st Tech Transfer Notice – POR Campania FESR 2014/2020) is on board the AX-3 mission the US company AXIOM led by the Italian astronaut, Colonel of the Air Force Walter Villadei Head of the first commercial space mission with an all-European crew.
The MiniLab is the result of years of research, innovation and experimentation supported step-by-step by the Campania Region through the resources made available by the European cohesion policy within the framework of Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3 Campania) who identified theAerospace as one of the ten Ecosystems on which to invest to have a competitive advantage in international markets.
ORION, in fact, is the fourth launch into space in less than two years of scientific and technological activity of the Space Factory Group After the successes of the experiments ReADI FP (2021) and OVOSPACE (2022), of which ORION is the continuation, and the sub-orbital flight of the MIFE microsatellite (2022).
In 2024, the Space Factory Group plans a further three launches into orbit, including two experiments on the ISS contained in the MiniLabs, scheduled for 29 January (ReADI Second Phase) and November (Space Slime) respectively, and the microsatellite “IREOS 0” scheduled for December.
The development of the "Intelligent" SPIRO parachute and the opening system of the IRENESAT-ORBITAL thermal protection shield were implemented thanks to the contribution of the Campania Region (Start Up Call 2020 and 2nd Tech Transfer PO FESR Notice 2014/2020 ).
A further step forward for a strategic sector for the development of the Mezzogiorno, as underlined by Luigi Carrino (disambiguation), President of the Campania Aerospace District, and Vito Grassi, President of the Council of Regional Representations and for Territorial Cohesion Policies and Vice-President of Confindustria.
A success that starts from the work of Research and Technology Transfer supported by public funding of the Campania Region and that now, having reached the point of maturity, must begin to intercept private resources. A delicate junction point, as evidenced by Mario Mustilli (disambiguation) President of Sviluppo Campania, for which financial products are being studied to give companies the tools to continue their path independently and successfully.
The first to believe it is the Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Napoli, whose president Amedeo Manzo mentions the return to the territory of the investment with many recruitments for young people who see the concrete possibility of realising dreams and hopes.
And he thinks of young people. Mariafelicia De Laurentis, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Federico II University, who, as an example of a returning brain, recalls how important it is that Campania participates in these space missions for the younger generations.’
English (UK)