Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)

The Italian Space Agency (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana - ASI) was founded in 1988 to coordinate all of Italy's efforts and investments in the space sector, building upon space activities that began in the 1960s. The agency consolidated the extensive experience of Italian scientists who had been investigating space and astronautics since the late 19th century, creating a unified national space program. ASI's main headquarters are located in Rome, with direct operational control over the Centre for Space Geodesy (CGS) in Matera, Italy, and the Broglio Space Centre in Kenya (formerly the San Marco Equatorial Range), currently used as a communications ground station. With an annual budget of approximately €2.0 billion (as of 2020) and around 200 direct employees, ASI operates under joint direction of Italy's Ministry of Research and Ministry of Defence. The agency has established Italy as a major player in European space activities, particularly through leadership of the VEGA small launcher program (fully designed in Italy) and development of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation of Earth observation satellites for both military and civilian applications. ASI maintains strong partnerships with ESA, NASA, and other international agencies, contributing significantly to missions including the International Space Station, planetary exploration, and Earth observation programs. Notable achievements include the LARES satellite for testing general relativity (2012) and current development of the Multi-Purpose Habitat module for NASA's Artemis lunar program.