The Italian Ministry of Culture - MiC - and the Italian Space Agency - ASI- have signed an agreement aimed at the joint and coordinated implementation of activities and programs regarding the collection and sharing of data on our national cultural heritage. It is part of the Plan for the Monitoring and Preservation of Cultural Property, which is coordinated by the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Security of the Ministry of Culture.

The two-year agreement was signed by Giorgio Saccoccia, President of the Italian Space Agency, and Marica Mercalli, Director General for Cultural Heritage Security. The Italian Space Agency will provide data acquired by COSMO-SkyMed, a dual system based on a constellation of satellites for the observation of the Earth, developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense.

The project is designed to develop and incorporate different observation and calibration technologies with a view to implementing a satellite monitoring plan integrated with in situ instrumental monitoring. The Ministry of Culture and the Italian Space Agency are committed to developing activities that would use satellite data and related products for application purposes to foster knowledge exchange, management, and technical-operational support in the different phases of the project dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage.

Finally, the Ministry and the Agency will test the use of satellite data on jointly defined pilot areas and assets.