{"id":2036,"date":"2026-02-04T13:19:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T13:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/italian-space-agency-and-telespazio-partners-to-enhance-satcom\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T13:19:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T13:19:32","slug":"italian-space-agency-and-telespazio-partners-to-enhance-satcom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/italian-space-agency-and-telespazio-partners-to-enhance-satcom\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Space Agency and Telespazio Partners to Enhance SATCOM"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Italian<\/p>\n

The Italian Space Agency (ASI)<\/strong> and Telespazio<\/strong>, a Leonardo Group company, have signed an agreement to launch the RESPONSE programme, aimed at modernising Telespazio\u2019s FOC-1A antenna, installed and operational since 1967 at the \u201cPiero Fanti\u201d Fucino Space Centre in Abruzzo.<\/p>\n

The objective of the project is to make the facility – a 27-metre-diameter parabolic antenna -compatible with Near-Earth and Deep Space communication requirements. In addition, the antenna will be able to support, among other things, future missions related to ESA<\/strong>\u2019s global tracking network for missions and satellites (ESTRACK) and communications with the Moon. This will be achieved both through Italy\u2019s direct contribution to NASA\u2019s ARTEMIS programme and through ESA\u2019s MOONLIGHT programme for lunar communications and navigation, for which Telespazio is Prime Contractor.<\/p>\n

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Also Read: What do you mean by Deep Space Network?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Beyond its strong symbolic value – the FOC-1A antenna was the one that allowed Italians to watch the Moon landing on television in 1969 – the initiative will enable Italy to rely on assets capable of delivering excellent performance to meet the service demands of the global space market.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the RESPONSE project, the FOC-1A antenna will support ASI\u2019s lunar missions and those of international partners, enhancing data exchange also with deep space missions. Its geographical location will further enable the antenna to operate within a network of other European and international ground stations, ensuring continuous and reliable communications for the next ambitious exploration missions,\u201d said Roberto Formaro<\/strong>, Head of ASI\u2019s Engineering and Technology Directorate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWith RESPONSE, Telespazio and ASI are giving new life to an infrastructure that has made the history of Italian and international satellite communications. The FOC-1A antenna, a symbol of the great space achievements of the 1960s and 1970s, is now being projected into the future to support lunar missions and deep space exploration over the coming decades. This is a concrete example of how Telespazio, together with Leonardo, is able to enhance its technological and industrial heritage, placing it at the service of Europe\u2019s new ambitions and the global space community,\u201d said <\/strong>Alessandra Farese, SVP Satellite Systems & Operations at Telespazio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The development of adequate ground communication systems is a fundamental element for the success of current and future lunar missions. Without reliable links between the Moon and Earth, it would be impossible to control vehicles, transmit scientific data, ensure astronaut safety and coordinate operations in real time.<\/p>\n

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Also Read: What are the Different Types of Antennas used in Deep Space Network?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

With humanity\u2019s return to the Moon and the prospect of a permanent presence, communication systems will be required to transmit and receive large volumes of data, including high-resolution images, video, telemetry, scientific experiments and voice communications. In this context, lunar communications are not merely a technical support, but a true strategic infrastructure, essential to transforming the Moon into a scientific laboratory and a launchpad for the exploration of Mars and deep space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Telespazio, a Leonardo Group company, have signed an agreement to launch the RESPONSE programme, aimed at modernising Telespazio\u2019s FOC-1A antenna, installed and operational since 1967 at the \u201cPiero Fanti\u201d Fucino Space Centre in Abruzzo. The objective of the project is to make the facility – a 27-metre-diameter parabolic antenna […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[23,26,20],"class_list":["post-2036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-communication-systems","tag-ground","tag-satellite"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}