THE PROJECT
The National Research Council (CNR) is participating, alongside the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), in the Earth Moon Mars (EMM) project, funded by the European Union and approved by the Ministry of Universities and Research under Mission 4 “Education and Research” – Component 2 “From Research to Business” – Investment Line 3.1, relating to the Fund for the creation of an integrated system of research and innovation infrastructures of the PNRR.
Coordinated by INAF, EMM is based on the existing infrastructure of the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT), owned by INAF itself. The project involves a significant upgrade of the SRT, to which ASI and CNR will contribute through the development of additional infrastructure components, each in line with their respective areas of expertise.
With total funding of €29,999,819, the project is structured around three main objectives
Expansion of the SRT’s operational capabilities
Design and construction
Establishment of the Earth and Mars Research Network (EMN)
The CNR plays an active and cross-cutting role, participating through six Institutes (IFAC, IBE, INO, IEIIT, IAC, ISAC) belonging to four Departments (DIITET, DISBA, DSFTM, DSSTTA). In addition to sharing technical, scientific and managerial coordination activities, the CNR is directly responsible for specific project lines that are strategic for the advancement of technologies and infrastructure supporting the exploration of the Earth system. In particular, its contribution focuses on:
- Development of prototypes and feasibility studies for instrumentation intended for measuring the Earth’s atmosphere and surface from the Moon;
- Participation in the construction of the antenna system for receiving signals from deep space;
- Design and implementation of hardware and software infrastructure capable of covering the entire operational cycle: from the collection and processing of observational data for the calibration and validation of satellite measurements, to the generation of radiative transfer models (direct and inverse), fusion algorithms and synergistic retrieval, through to data assimilation and meteorological and climate modelling.
As part of the EMM project, the CNR is also committed to promoting the integration of Italian expertise in Earth’s atmosphere with that in the Martian atmosphere, developed within INAF. The aim is to encourage structured scientific collaboration on a national scale, fostering convergence between research communities engaged in the observation and modelling of the atmospheres of Earth and Mars, with a view to eventually analysing other planetary atmospheres in the Solar System and those of exoplanets.
The EMM project also aims to support technological innovation in the space sector through the establishment of a scientific facility on the lunar surface which – in addition to providing an ideal environment for the training and development of new researchers specialising in the field – will play a dual role:
Planning infrastructure on the Moon, integrated with ground-based facilities, presents a challenge of great scientific and technological significance. Observing the Earth from the Moon – made possible by the Earth’s rotation – will provide a unique temporal perspective, opening up opportunities to monitor global phenomena such as climate change and potential further developments regarding air pollution, natural disasters, and changes to the landscape and vegetation. In this context, EMM serves as a strategic platform for addressing pressing issues in planetary sciences, the study of the origin of the Universe, the Earth’s energy balance and climate evolution.
Through state-of-the-art facilities – including instrumentation for laboratory and in situ measurements, numerical codes, archives of historical and current observational data, as well as computational resources and storage infrastructure – EMM presents itself as an integrated ecosystem of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary expertise. This platform will be able to support the entire research cycle, from the design to the implementation of scientific initiatives, in collaboration with public and private bodies, both nationally and internationally.
Partners
