Baikonur – “Europe is going to Mars with its ExoMars mission. This is the kind of Europe that makes us proud; and it’s no coincidence that to Italy played a key role in reaching this milestone, via the Italian Space Agency and local companies. Italy is much stronger and innovative than we’re led to believe,” this is the comment of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who praised the ExoMars mission in his weekle e-news letter. Renzi’s approval is similar to that of the President of the Italian Space Agency Roberto Battiston: “It’s always an intense emotion, seeing that giant rocket leave, knowing that on it there are 4.000 kg of Italian science and technology,” commented immediately after the launch. “This is first mission in which Europe will land on Mars, and Italy is a leader player,” added Battiston. The journey to Mars began right on schedule, with the lift-off of the Proton-M carrying the ESA mission, under the scientific and technological Italian leadership – in collaboration with the Russian space agency Roscosmos – occurring as planned, yesterday at 10:31 CET, at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (9Colonne)
