Space, the new frontier of interconnections. It is among the stars that new communication paths are being developed with major investments in the aerospace sector. For years now, there has been a real race to develop satellite stations, directly interconnected with terrestrial ones (5G and 6G), which represent access to a new way of thinking about the world. Many nations are investing significant public and private resources to conquer slices of an evolving market and to be among the economic players that will enjoy privileged access to the gold of satellite connections, without neglecting the positive spin-off in terms of environmental and social sustainability.

THE CONNECTIVITY PROJECT

Investment and technological development in aerospace are among the EU’s priorities. The Connectivity project, launched by the European Union, goes precisely in the direction of enhancing the ‘fleet’ of satellites with the aim, in the medium to long term, of providing European citizens not only with connectivity, but also with emergency services, alerts and interconnection between states, in addition to the multitude of tools whose development is intimately connected to satellite technology. According to EU plans, the first launches should be scheduled for 2024, by 2027 they will become stable in the system of operations. The aim of the project is to link satellite and terrestrial capabilities in order to make the most of current technologies, such as 5G, and the forthcoming 6G.

The space-terrestrial dual track will ensure affordable broadband access, building bridges between industry, the public and private sectors to optimise technologies and processes to ensure fair access to the digital ecosystem. From the point of view of social sustainability, the space economy also confirms its positive potential, as well as enormous possibilities for innovation that could radically improve the quality of life of many, such as access to low-cost eHealth in developing countries.

ITALY OBSERVES THE EARTH WITH OSIRIDE

The race to develop satellite stations has America, China and Russia in the front row, but there are many other countries involved. Italy is in the race with the Osiride project (Soluzioni Operative per IRIDE – Operational Solutions for IRIDE), whose aim is to provide state-of-the-art space technologies and services for the development of the IRIDE satellite constellation, a European space programme for low-altitude Earth observation. The operational programme involves four companies specialising and leading in different segments of the Earth observation sector: D-Orbit in space logistics and transport services, Exprivia in ground systems and enterprise software solutions, Planetek Italia in the development of services and analytics derived from observation activities, and Serco Italia in the design of infrastructures for satellite data management. To meet this challenge, the four ‘sisters’ have set up the Osiris consortium, whose task will be to foster the emergence of start-ups and innovative approaches for the development of geospatial services.

IRIDE

Iride is a key component of the Next Generation EU specifically dedicated to the development of the aerospace sector, supporting the ecological and digital transition. The programme will realise a system including all components – upstream, downstream and services – to provide geospatial services at national and European level, both to public administration and private customers. Iride will consist of a constellation of 36 satellites of various types, and the satellite constellation will be built in Italy and completed by 2026 with the support of the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency for a total value of EUR 1.3 billion, allocated under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The programme will encompass all stages of the process: from launch, orbit and control to data transmission to Earth and management.
The aim of the project is to support the Civil Protection department and other administrations in dealing with natural disasters, hydrogeological instability and fires, but it will also be used for coastal protection, monitoring air quality and weather conditions (e.g. by producing land cover maps to develop climate models) and for observing and controlling infrastructures or critical contexts (e.g. multispectral and radar images to build predictive models on deforestation). It will therefore be a fundamental tool for managing the climate crisis and its consequences, confirming the aerospace industry as a major ally for the full realisation of a sustainable future.
The development of Iride will also generate numerous job opportunities for young talents, researchers and professionals in the space sector and will allow, among other things, industries and private investors to be active participants in the conquest of the new frontiers of satellite connections.