An upcoming space mission which will include Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli will be called 'Esperia', the name the Greeks used to refer to the Italian peninsula.
A joint statement Tuesday from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Italian Space Agency (ASI) added that the Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), set to blast off in October, will be a showcase for European technology with the delivery of Italian-built Node 2.
The mission will also see ASI providing three pressurised cargo containers (Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, or MPLMs) developed by Italian industries for NASA under a bilateral agreement.
It was through this agreement that ASI obtained six flight opportunities for its astronauts. The first flight opportunity saw Umberto Guidoni spend 10 days on board the ISS in April 2000.
Close cooperation between ESA and ASI resulted in the assignment of Nespoli, a member of the European Astronaut Corps, to the Esperia mission.
This will be Nespoli's first space assignment. During the complex assembly mission, as a member of the STS-120 crew of seven, he will have a major role in installing Node 2, built by Italy's Thales Alenia Space, coordinating activities from inside the Shuttle during four spacewalks.
Node 2 is the first to be built in Europe and is a key element in the future of the ISS, ESA said.
It will serve as a connecting passageway for ESA s Columbus laboratory, the US Destiny laboratory and the Japanese Kibo laboratory, as well as the attachment point for the Japanese HII Transfer Vehicle, ESA said.
It will carry a docking adapter for the Space Shuttle and serve as an attachment point for the MPLMs as well.
During the Esperia mission, Nespoli will also be responsible for conducting a joint ESA/ASI programme of human physiology and biology experiments.
His other duties will include assisting with the maintenance and operation of the orbiter's onboard systems.
