page_title: Italian Space Agency
section_title: Human spaceflight
hierarchical_section_title: Italian Space Agency / Programmes / Human spaceflight
caption_attribution_description: English: A blanket of heavy cloud cover forms the backdrop for this image featuring the Italian-built Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) and portions of the Canadarm2 and the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. The image was photographed by an STS-114 crewmember during the mission’s first session of extravehicular activity (EVA).
context_page_description: The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy. The agency cooperates with numerous national and international entities who are active in aerospace research and technology.
  Nationally, ASI is responsible for both drafting the National Aerospace Plan and ensuring it is carried out. To do this the agency operates as the owner/coordinator of a number of Italian space research agencies and assets such as CIRA as well as organising the calls and opportunities process for Italian industrial contractors on spaceflight projects. Internationally, the ASI provides Italy's delegation to the Council of the European Space Agency and to its subordinate bodies as well as representing the country's interests in foreign collaborations.
  ASI's main headquarters are located in Rome, Italy, and the agency also has direct control over three operational centres. The Centre for Space Geodesy located in Matera in Italy. As well as these ASI has access to its own spaceport, the Broglio Space Centre on the coastal sublittoral of Kenya, currently used only as a communications ground station.
context_section_description: Through ASI, the Italian space industry is an active player in human spaceflight activities.
  The three Shuttle MPLM cargo containers Leonardo, Raffaello and Donatello, were manufactured at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in Turin, Italy by Alcatel Alenia Space, now Thales Alenia Space. They provide a key function in storing equipment and parts for transfer to the International Space Station.
  A number of ISS modules have also been made in Italy. As part of ESA's contribution to the costs of the International Space Station, Alcatel Alenia Space manufactured Tranquility, Harmony as well as the Cupola observation deck for NASA.
  ESA's Columbus module, Western Europe's primary scientific lab on board the ISS, was again built in Turin based on Italy's previous experience in space station module construction.
caption: Raffaello, upper left, docked with the International Space Station during STS-114
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