Last night, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) LICIACube satellite, built by Argotec, successfully accomplished its goals. At 4:23 a.m. Italian time, the first historical photos that testify to the impact of the NASA Dart probe against the asteroid Dimorphos, 12 million kilometers away, arrived at the Turin Control Center.

To explain all the details of these outstanding results for the Italian space sector, the ASI, the INAF and Argotec organized a press release at Argotec headquarters, in Turin.

The press conference was attended by Giorgio Saccoccia, president of the ASI, David Avino, CEO of Argotec, Simone Pirrotta, Program Manager of the ASI, Valerio di Tana, Program Manager of Argotec, Elisabetta Dotto, Science Team Lead of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF).

The meeting was opened by Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the NASA, who thanked the ASI and Italy for their essential contribution to the success of the DART mission.

During the press conference, the images captured by the Luke and Leia cameras aboard LICIACube, which immortalize the impact of the DART probe, were released.

Watch the video with the news on AsiTv