Air Force Chief of Staff Goretti: 'Access to aerospace resources an essential condition for ensuring the security of the country'

Space as an increasingly strategic area for defence. This was the message that emerged at the conference 'Space to the Future. The Air Force beyond the Karman Line', which took place in Rome, at the 'A.Visconti' Auditorium of Palazzo Aeronautica. It was an opportunity for the institutions involved with aerospace issues to discuss space and at the same time celebrate the 60th anniversary of the launch of the San Marco satellite. The meeting was organised by the Centre for Military Aerospace Studies (Cesma) of the Air Force Association, in cooperation with the Air Force.

"Access to aerospace resources," emphasised the Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Squadron General Luca Goretti, "is an essential condition for ensuring the security of the country and for conducting military operations, and the development of the so-called space economy is a strategic opportunity for anyone wishing to invest in aerospace research and development, with important spin-offs for the community and the country. From the 'San Marco' project, Italy's space expertise in terms of satellite launch capabilities and space research has derived".

For his part, Cesma President Giovanni Fantuzzi emphasised the leading role of the Air Force. 'Everyone is looking for 'Supporting Space', i.e. space services available for military, civil and dual-use applications,' he said. 'But once we fill space with high-value satellite assets, we need someone to support these assets (maintenance under operational conditions, upgrades, physical protection, etc.). The Air Force is also in charge of 'Supported Space', i.e., to manage it'.