The project

Astra is the acronym of Advanced Space Technologies and Research Alliance. Its objective is to contribute to technological innovation in the space sector, by bridging the gap between pure research and its application.

It sees the participation of three public research centers and two private entities. The former are the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), the University of Perugia and the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF). The private bodies are the Bruno Kessler Foundation and Thales Alenia Ltd.

Astra is a “spoke” (namely, a macro-project) of Vitality (Innovation, digitization and sustainability ecosystem for the economy in central Italy), a project launched in 2023 and financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Vitality is made up of 10 spokes, including Astra.

Astra’s main objective is to develop technologies and devices that can help bridge the gap between research in its “pure” form and that intended for industrial and commercial applications, in the space sector. Its research activities will specifically concentrate on both hardware and software, with special attention to technological transfer and to the project's impact on the territory and its productive fabric.