The Italian Space Agency in the USA for the Space Symposium di Colorado Springs

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) participated with an official delegation led by President Teodoro Valente, in the 41st edition of the Space Symposium, organized by the Space Foundation, held from 13 to 16 April 2026 in Colorado Springs (USA). Valente was accompanied by the directors of Science and Innovation, Mario Cosmo; of Engineering and Technology, Roberto Formaro; the deputy director, Francesco Longo; of International Affairs, Gabriella Arrigo; and the deputy director, Maria Chiara Noto. The Italian participation was part of a phase of strong consolidation of the country’s international positioning in the space sector, also in light of the recent Joint Statement signed on March 30 in Washington by Minister Adolfo Urso and by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. The agreement strengthens bilateral cooperation, particularly within the Artemis program, to which Italy contributes by developing key elements for future lunar infrastructure. This is accompanied by the success of the ESA Ministerial Meeting in Bremen, where Italy invested about 3.5 billion euros, confirming itself as one of the Agency’s main contributors and obtaining the ESA Presidency of the Council at the ministerial level for the next three years. The ASI delegation met with numerous institutional and industrial partners, including NASA and the space agencies of Canada, South Korea, Brazil, Japan, and Australia. The talks focused in particular on the Artemis program, prospects for international cooperation, and issues of global space governance. In this context, the future Italian presidency of COPUOS has garnered broad consensus. Among the important events for the ASI delegation, the “Space Leaders Spotlight” on 15 April, with the participation of the heads of agencies, and the Fourth Italy–US Space Commercial Forum, during which President Valente highlighted how the collaboration between Italy and the United States is evolving towards increasingly structured industrial partnerships,  also supported by cooperation between agencies and by the common commitment to the program Artemis.In the occasion of the “Institutional Breakfast” organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and dedicated to the promotion of dialogue and international cooperation, Gabriella Arrigo, Director of International Affairs of ASI and President of the IAF, recalled the role of space as an area of collaboration and peace between nations. The Italian Space Agency was also present at the stand of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) – ICE Agency with a dedicated exhibition space that illustrates the entire chain of the Agency’s activities, from scientific research to technological development to operational applications.” The Space Symposium is increasingly establishing itself as a unique opportunity for international discussion and exchange of views, explained President Valente at the end of the event. The 2026 edition confirmed this value. In recent days, moreover, there has been an air of great satisfaction following the successes of the Artemis II mission, which has given the lunar exploration program the impetus to continue on the road to the Moon. A path that sees the important participation of Italy, and in particular of the ASI. Artemis represents a great form of global collaboration, which shows how, despite the tensions of the geopolitical context, the space sector continues to be a privileged place for dialogue, in which the drive for exploration and progress unites the different international communities”.