Naples – The Minister of Health, Professor Orazio Schillaci, today visited the Space Factory Group headquarters in Naples, at Via E. Gianturco 31, acknowledging the Campania-based company's strategic role in the national and international landscape of biopharmaceutical and life sciences experimentation in orbital environments.
The Space Factory Group, headquartered in a 3.000-square-meter facility comprising laboratories, offices, and exhibition areas, specializes in the design and development of advanced technologies for re-entry of platforms from space and for conducting scientific experiments in orbit using its intelligent mini-laboratories, known as MiniLabs.
A consolidated track record
Between 2021 and 2024, the Group successfully completed five space missions: four scientific missions, conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with the MiniLab 1.0, and a suborbital certification mission of the IRENE® thermal protection system, called MIFE, financed with ESA/ASI GSTP funds and coordinated by the Italian Aerospace Research Center (CIRA).
The scientific missions explored two areas of research with a high impact on human health: osteoporosis prevention, with the ReADI-FP and ReADI-SP missions, and female fertility, with the OVOSPACE and ORION missions.
Eight new missions in six months
The next six months will see further acceleration: the Group plans to launch eight new scientific and biopharmaceutical missions. The first, ORION 2, funded by the Italian Space Agency and co-sponsored by the Austrian Drug Screening Institute (ADSI), is scheduled for May 2026.
The Space Slime mission will follow in August, while the launch of IREOS-0, the first mission of the IRENESAT-ORBITAL microsatellite program, is expected in February 2027. This mission will be capable of autonomous and controlled reentry from space — a system currently unique in the world.
Two next-generation minilaboratories, MiniLab 3.0, funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), will be installed aboard IREOS-0. These laboratories will be used for the ASTROGUT and GAIA life sciences experiments. Italian pharmaceutical companies, including Damor SpA, will also participate in the mission. These companies are interested in testing new therapeutic protocols in orbit, consolidating Italy's—and Campania's in particular—leadership in in-orbit biopharmaceutical testing.
The founder's voice
"Today's visit by Minister Schillaci confirms that the path undertaken by Space Factory is the right one," said Norberto Salza, Founder of the Group. "Biopharma testing in space, a cutting-edge activity until a few years ago, is now one of the most promising sectors of the low-orbit economy. Accessing it at affordable costs through intelligent mini-laboratories that can also be carried on microsatellites represents an essential line of scientific and industrial development, with concrete implications for terrestrial pharmacological research and future exploration missions. It is an example of Italian leadership that begins in our country."
The words of Minister Schillaci
I am positively amazed by this excellence. Experiments that can be conducted under special conditions, different from those commonly found on Earth, represent a concrete opportunity to identify innovative treatment models for certain complex diseases, as you have already demonstrated with previous launches. The technologies developed by Space Factory can open up new therapeutic options for Italian citizens.
Prof. Orazio Schillaci, Minister of Health
In short
Orazio Schillaci today visited the Space Factory Group headquarters in Naples, in Via E.
- Gianturco 31, recognizing the strategic role of the Campania-based company in the national and international landscape of biopharmaceutical and life sciences experimentation in the…
- The Space Factory Group, with headquarters in a 3.000-square-meter space comprising laboratories, offices, and exhibition areas, is…
- A consolidated track record Between 2021 and 2024, the Group successfully completed five missions…
Key questions
What is the main point of the news?
Orazio Schillaci today visited the Space Factory Group headquarters in Naples, in Via E.
Why is this news relevant?
Gianturco 31, recognizing the strategic role of the Campania-based company in the national and international landscape of biopharmaceutical and life sciences experimentation in the…
Which detail helps us understand the case better?
The Space Factory Group, with headquarters in a 3.000-square-meter space comprising laboratories, offices, and exhibition areas, specializes in the design and…
I think the visit was interesting, but too many details are unclear. The Minister and the SpaceFactory demonstrated important missions, but timeframes and resources don't seem to be well explained. Furthermore, the word "leadership" is often used without context. Let's hope the benefits arrive soon, but we need more transparency and a clear, verifiable plan.