Sky was the limit: the Italian – Turkish partnership in space
Day: Tuesday 6 October
Time: 16:40 - 17:40
Location: D3 - NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre
Sponsored by:
Italy has a longer space history than it is often imagined. With the launch of its first satellite in 1964 it became the third country in the world to enter the space race after the Soviet Union and the USA. A few years earlier, it established the Fucino Space Centre, a hub for satellite communications and today the world’s largest teleport for civilian use, handling services that are essential to everyday life. Another milestone came in 1992, when the first Italian astronaut travelled into space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Building on this long-standing commitment, Italy developed a wide range of space technologies that are essential for living, working and communicating. A number of modules and structures on the International Space Station are Italian, including its large panoramic “window” Cupola, as well as satellites and observation systems such as COSMO-SkyMed, capable of monitoring the planet day and night, even through the clouds, providing valuable data for environment, security and emergency management.
From an industrial perspective, this is a story of success that perfectly matches Türkiye’s ambitions and determination in pursuing a “space path” towards innovation and applied technology. The first example was Göktürk-1, the first Turkish satellite, jointly developed by Italian and Turkish companies and launched into orbit by an Italian launcher. The best is yet to come: Türkiye’s Lunar Research Programme (Ay Araştırma Programı) and Artemis Accords provide new opportunities.
To witness the strategic and even personal Turkish-Italian cooperation two exceptional testimonials will take the stage during the event: Alper Gezeravcı, the first Turkish astronaut, and the Italian Walter Villadei, who were crewmates in the “Axiom 3” mission in January-February 2024. Their journey brought the friendship between Italy and Türkiye into space itself, becoming a powerful symbol of what our two countries can achieve together. The sky was the limit…!
