ROME – Italy consolidates its leadership in space exploration and research. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has signed a strategic agreement with ALI SpA, part of the Space Factory Group, for the development of two next-generation minilaboratories, MiniLab 3.0, destined to revolutionize biopharmaceutical and life sciences testing in microgravity.
For the first time, the management of space experiments will be brought to an unprecedented level of accessibility: scientists will be able to monitor activities in orbit in real time directly from Earth, using a simple tablet or smartphone.
The IRENESAT-ORBITAL Mission: Italian Science in Space
The contract, signed by ASI Director General Luca Vincenzo Maria Salamone, finances the development of the MiniLab 3.0 payloads for the IREOS-0/Amalia microsatellite. This is the inaugural mission of the IRENESAT-ORBITAL program.
MiniLabs 3.0 are “smart” mini-laboratories (2U in size) that stand out for their unique real-time management and control capability in a protected space environment.
On board Amalia – named in honor of the Italian aerospace pioneer Amalia Ercoli Finzi – two leading experiments from Italian universities will be hosted:
GAIA (Sapienza University of Rome): Will study the growth of wheat germ on terrestrial and lunar substrates, a crucial step for future food cultivation on the Moon and Mars and the development of bioregenerative systems for astronauts.
ASTROGUT (Federico II University of Naples): It will monitor the life cycle of intestinal probiota to gain a deeper understanding of human physiology in space.
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Re-entry and Reuse Technology: IRENE®
Upon completion of the scientific activities, the mission will aim to certify in orbit the Space Factory Group's most anticipated proprietary technology: the IRENE® flexible heat shield.
IRENE® is the key to the future of the space economy, as it will allow satellites to return intact from space, be recovered and, above all, reused for subsequent missions, making a significant contribution to the fight against the growing phenomenon of space debris.
Mario Cosmo, Director of Science and Innovation at the Italian Space Agency, emphasized: "The IREOS mission is a concrete example of our country's positioning in the design and development of technologies applied to reentry from low orbit and reuse. This sector will become increasingly strategic."
Massimo Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo Space Division, added: “Experimentation in zero gravity and in the biopharmaceutical sector in space... is one of the most promising sectors. Once again, an example of Italian leadership.”
An Innovation Ecosystem Supported by Campania
The success of ALI SpA, based in Naples, is the result of a virtuous partnership between the company (Space Factory Group), the banking system (Intesa Sanpaolo Nova+ financing), and institutional support.
Valeria Fascione, Councilor for Research, Innovation, and Startups for the Campania Region, reiterated: “Working alongside organizations like the Space Factory Group means believing in a South that experiments, dares, and builds the future.”
With MiniLab 3.0 listed in ESA's Marketplace, Italy establishes itself as Europe's official provider of cutting-edge services for life sciences in orbit, positioning the country as a key player in the New Space Economy.
Comments (1)
The idea of mini laboratories in space is very interesting, but I wonder if the experiments will actually be useful. Also, controlling them via tablet seems complicated, and I don't know if it would work well in orbit. It remains to be seen.