A few hours to the launch of the crewed mission Artemis II

Artemis II will perform a close flyby of the Moon, the first mission with humans that will venture beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) after the end of the Apollo program. In the meantime, in recent days, the ASI (Italian Space Agency) and NASA announced that, thanks to Italy's provision of the MPH lunar module (Multi-Purpose Habitation), our nation has secured a spot for an Italian astronaut on a future Artemis mission with a moon landing.

Considering the current timelines, after Artemis III (scheduled for 2027), the first moon landing of the new program is expected at the beginning of 2028 with Artemis IV and a second mission at the end of 2028 (Artemis V). It is possible that an Italian astronaut could participate in a landing mission in 2029 with Artemis VI.

Teodoro Valente (President of ASI) stated, "A long-lasting space cooperation, now even deeper between NASA and ASI, will lead to the realization of a lunar base and an Italian astronaut walking on the lunar surface. Italian expertise and technology open all doors to space exploration."

An Italian Astronaut on the Moon Thanks to a New Agreement

Adolfo Urso (Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy) stated, "The future home of astronauts on the Moon will be Made in Italy, built with technologies and by Italian companies that will be called to develop the habitation modules ensuring a safe and prolonged presence on the lunar surface. Together with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, I signed a significant agreement in Washington to strengthen space cooperation between Italy and the United States specifically on lunar habitation modules, communication systems, and scientific activities, aiming to promote and support a stable and lasting human presence on the Moon."

The Italian minister further stated, "The companies from our aerospace districts, starting with Turin, have all the capabilities to contribute to the success of these long-term missions. Italy thus strengthens its role in the new race to the Moon. We will also play a leading role in this new phase of lunar exploration, including the presence of at least one Italian astronaut in the future Artemis program missions, following a tradition that connects Italy and the United States in the race for space, since the times of Rocco Petrone, who was the director of the Apollo program and a key figure in the first conquest of the Moon."

Previously, an Italian astronaut was expected to be part of the Artemis program following a German and a French colleague. The choice was linked to the size of the investment for ESA, with Italy positioning itself behind the other two European nations for the coming years. Clearly, it is too early to know who will be chosen and when the mission will actually take place.

NASA will leverage Italy's knowledge and capabilities and its companies in the construction of space modules (such as those for the ISS or the Lunar Gateway, the latter project has been largely canceled) accelerating the development of the permanent lunar base announced in recent days. A project that aims to respond to China and its space program and, more generally, to create a real sustainable space economy both from agencies and from private companies.