Man on Mars, Enea technologies in the space challenge

Research in the space field “has always been the driving force behind new scientific discoveries with significant repercussions for environmental protection, economic development, medicine, life sciences, new materials and technological innovation”. This is the scenario outlined by the president of Enea Gilberto Dialuce in inaugurating today the event “Man towards Mars: a multi-dimensional challenge” promoted by the Agency to present infrastructures, advanced instruments and activities for research in the space field , some of which are unique in Europe. Dialuce underlined that “Enea has laboratories, skills and professionalism capable of effectively contributing to the development and competitiveness of the space and aerospace sector, an excellence of our country also at an international level”. Organized in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) on the twentieth anniversary of the ‘Sts-100’ mission – which marked the start of the use of the International Space Station for scientific purposes – the meeting took place at the Enea Research Center of Frascati, near Rome, with the participation of Mario Cosmo and Barbara Negri, respectively Director of Research and Science and head of the Human Flight and Scientific Experimentation Unit of Asi, Gianluca Bruti neurologist and founder of Eurekacademy, Enrico Flamini President of the Foundation International Research School of Planetary Science and Francesca Esposito researcher at the Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte of the National Institute of Astrophysics (Inaf) and Principal Investigator of Dreams1. the projects and plants of the Enea Department of Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety such as, for example, facilities and infrast research structures unique in Europe such as Calliope, Triga, Tapiro, Frascati Neutron Generator. These machines – recommended by the Italian2 and European Space Agencies for their performance – allow to carry out tests of materials, components and systems for space, to reproduce the conditions of 90% of the peak flow of cosmic rays and to simulate radiation in missions. lunar and interplanetary (gamma rays, neutrons, protons, X rays, electrons), allowing the study of the effects on living systems, materials and devices. “Our plants and our skills are described in the White paper Italian contribution to Moon exploration, with particular reference to the Radiation Exposur Tests services that only very few other facilities at an international level are able to offer”, underlined Alessandro Dodaro, Director of the Enea Department of Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety. “In the context of a growing attention to the world of space, we want to strengthen the existing collaborations with industry and the world of research and start new ones to give our contribution to some of the most crucial issues of the space challenge “added Dodaro. Luigi De Dominicis of the Diagnostics and Metrology Laboratory Enea explained:” We are focusing on the study of the effects of space radiation on components, systems, detectors, dosimeters, polymers, biological matrices, micro and macro-organisms, following a transversal approach, which offers great opportunities for real life ization of new enabling technologies and very high precision applications “. The department also includes the solar compass, capable of detecting the orientation in about one second with an accuracy 100 times better than magnetic compasses; the excimer laser for the development of optical solar reflectors and the thermal design of spacecraft; innovative systems for the deposition of metal, ceramic and composite coatings with melting temperatures up to 4,000 ° C and other instruments and plants present in the Enea Research Centers in Frascati, Casaccia (Rome) and Brasimone (Bologna).