New Mexico and Puglia Aerospace Ready for Industrial Partnerships and Exchanges between NASA Centers and Universities

Mission to New Mexico by the president of the Aerospace Technology District ( Dta ) Giuseppe Acierno, representing the members, the Puglia Region and the Aeroporti di Puglia company with the aim of verifying new business models and scientific and technological collaborations, so as to strengthen the opportunities for interaction and growth of the Puglia system. A state with a strong aerospace vocation, famous for having hosted the Manhattan Project during the Second World War, today New Mexico is the place where Virgin Galactic is planning the first ever commercial service for space tourism, starting from Space Port America, the first commercial spaceport purpose-built in the world and located in the town of Truth or Consequences .

The United United States Space Force America, through the consortium of universities it has created, is interested in research and development in 5 specific areas (X geo and space domain awareness in space operations ; advanced space powers and propulsion ; advance remote sensing ; cyber mission assurance ). For Acierno it was an extraordinary opportunity to learn about their business model and operation and in agreement with the Puglia Region and the Aeroporti di Puglia company he was able to propose and evaluate forms of collaboration, which will be the subject of further discussion and analysis, between the spaceport in New Mexico and the one being planned in Grottaglie. Before leaving, the president of the DTA met with the rectors of Unisalento and the Polytechnic of Bari and with the board member of the DTA , representing the University of Bari. They all declared their availability and interest in verifying the possibility of student exchanges, joint doctorates, research activities, degree courses and joint teaching activities. White sand Test facility NASA and Space Grant NASA have shown interest in developing doctorates in collaboration with Unisalento , Poliba and Uniba and in offering services to local businesses.
The State of New Mexico, in addition to the spaceport, hosts three air force bases and four aerospace testing facilities: The physical sciences laboratory of the NMSU (New Mexico State University ); the flight test site for unmanned aerial systems of the Nmsu and the Faa (Federal Aviation Administration); the test facility of the White Sands test facility of NASA. “There are many analogies between the State of New Mexico and the Puglia Region,” emphasizes Giuseppe Acierno. “Both are areas that have focused on aerospace to increase their competitiveness, their rate of innovation and business and job opportunities. The New Mexico system presents numerous initiatives whose vision is very similar to the one that led us in these 15 years to plan and give life to our system,” adds the president of the Dta ”. For Acierno “particularly significant was the visit to the White Sand Test Facility of NASA which plays a key role in the American space program and in space technology by conducting tests on materials and components required in today's innovative space vehicles and promoting the use of rocket engines that use non-toxic fuels”.

During the visit, much space was dedicated to an initial comparison between the BIC (Business Incubation Centre) of the European Space Agency managed by the DTA in Brindisi ( the only one in southern Italy) and the Arrowhead Center incubator (affiliated to the New Mexico State University) specialized in Space, Agriculture and Clean Energy, bringing out some proposals and actions aimed at making their experts available to each other.

Equally important is the interaction with the Nmsu and Faa's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Site, which hosts one of seven Uas (remotely piloted aircraft systems) test sites approved by the Faa to support the integration of unmanned systems into the national airspace system of the United States of America and specializes in flight tests of unmanned systems for all classes of Uas . “It is a site equivalent to the Test bed located at the Grottaglie airport, built and managed by the District as the only national research infrastructure dedicated to the development of platforms, services and management systems for airspace related to drones,” Acierno recalls.

"It is very stimulating and motivating to see interest, attention and I would say strong appreciation for what Puglia today represents and is able to offer in the global aerospace panorama. It is a system created in 15 years with a very clear vision and program from the beginning and that allows us today to be able to sit at the table of international collaborations with a role, proactive capacity and above all initiatives that strengthen Puglia and its aerospace system", concludes the president of the Dta .