“We need to clear the definition of the Altec Space Center as “little Houston”. Because it has become one of the largest space technological realities and excellences in the world.” Massimo Comparini, CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia, major shareholder of the Turin-based Earth Space Centre, thus celebrates the twenty years of the Turin company, celebrated on Friday 5 April. “Turin is not only the Italian capital of space, but one of the European and world capitals. Because if we are among the main protagonists of the international space scenario, it is thanks to our capabilities and our human resources. We look to the future with optimism: thanks to the institutions, research centers and our companies, including Altec (64 percent Thales Alenia Space, 36 percent ASI) we are able to face the new challenges that space presents us”.
Aerospace Logistics Technology Engineering Company Marte, suburbs of Turin by Bruno Ruffilli 05 May 2023
A space logistics center
Altec became fully operational twenty years ago. But it was born before, as a small ground base inside “Palazzina 90” of the then Alenia Spazio, now Thales Alenia Space. It was initially formed by a small team of specialized engineers, led by Luciano Battocchio. In the nineties, Turin was already the ground center of some Shuttle missions: the press conference with astronauts Maurizio Cheli, Umberto Guidoni and Jeffrey Hoffman as guests live from space was memorable.
Thus, under the pressure of the Italian Space Agency (the President, Professor Teodoro Valente, was present at the event) and the institutions, it was decided to create an ad hoc structure capable of realizing what the production capacities of the industrial area of Turin could allow. Starting with the monitoring and control of astronauts’ activities, in particular during the missions of European astronauts on the Shuttle and Space Station, and with preparation and training, which also involved American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. And also the logistics, i.e. the preparation, control and verification of everything that was “packaged” and brought into orbit, from the scientific and technological equipment, up to the food for the astronauts and including the spring water of the SMAT of Turin. And then the new frontier of exploration, with interplanetary robotic missions, and two simulation and control centers for robotic missions on the Moon and Mars.
An idea that starts from the successes of the first pressurized modules
“The idea of creating a control center in Turin for the service and supply of engineering and logistics services to support space missions, as well as the use of the International Space Station, the ISS – explains Fabio Massimo Grimaldi, President of Altec – was born in 1983, thanks to the intuition of Professor Ernesto Vallerani, president of the then Alenia Spazio and father of Italian space modules. In fact, that year the first European Spacelab module was launched, largely built in Turin. A huge success, which gave us the possibility of creating the subsequent modules, and about half of the pressurized part of the ISS. It was important to create a ground logistics base to support the many operations that have seen us, and will continue to see us, protagonists in future space exploration and in the new Space Economy”. Then, as the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin recalls, “Altec was a startup, and it was even difficult to fit it into an adequate legislative framework”. Today it has become “a business model, in which the public shareholder, ASI, and the private one, Thales Alenia Space, create mixed capital in a private company to create value”, comments Grimaldi.
“And now we look at the next twenty years – observes Vincenzo Giorgio, CEO of Altec – We are moving beyond Earth’s orbit, and towards the Moon, without forgetting Mars, which always remains strategic in robotic exploration programmes. Among the structures created with ESA and ASI, we have here in Altec the Rocc, Rover Operation Control Center, for the ExoMars mission which will start in 2028. A European mission that sees Italy and our industry in the front row, and that of Turin it is the center that simulates the operations of the rover that will hunt for biological life forms on the Red Planet.” It’s so well done that it seems real. And it also inspires artists: in fact, the video for was also shot on the Martian terrain of Altec Universethe latest single from Turin’s Subsonica.
From the Earth to the Moon and from the Moon to the Earth
And then there is the Moon: the next great stage of exploration with astronauts. Where Thales Alenia Space is involved, thanks to programs with ESA, ASI and NASA, for the Artemis Program. Which will also include missions of automatic probes and rovers: “Work will begin in 2025 to create a lunar terrain where we can simulate and test the vehicles that will go to the Moon”, says Mario Benassai, physicist and biophysicist, manager at Altec. “It will be in one of the largest hangars at our space center, and it will be strictly covered. Since the lunar dust that will be used will be almost identical to that of lunar regolith, which is not at all advisable to breathe.”
“But Earth orbit will always remain strategic for all future space activities and the Space Economy – reiterates Giorgio – Even with the entry of private companies. For the future, it will be important to focus increasingly on services to support space infrastructures. Space will have to be increasingly sustainable.” In practice, creating ready-made satellites to avoid further clogging the Earth’s orbits, for example. And create methods to recover them and “throw them away without creating further garbage in orbit.
The Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano also participated in the celebratory event, connected from Houston: “Altec is a great excellence – he said – and we astronauts must thank all the women and men who with their great work they support and prepare us on many aspects of life in orbit, right before our missions.” The astronaut from Catania, protagonist in two long-duration missions and six spacewalks, also placed the emphasis on international cooperation, in such a delicate moment for life on Earth: “Science, technology, space exploration are assets common to all humanity.”
The Euclid space mission has taken off, the European telescope on a mission to reveal the secrets of energy and dark matter by Marini Matteo 01 July 2023