A member of the European Space Agency (ESA), established by the Italian government in 1988. It is the third contributor country to the European Space Agency and one of the most significant players in the world in space science, satellite technologies, and the development of mobile systems for exploring the Universe. It has actively participated in many projects, including Hermes and Spacelab. ASI developed Leonardo, the multi-purpose logistics module that space shuttle astronauts attach to the International Space Station, to load and unload supplies and equipment. On the international level, ISA has contributed significantly to space exploration by building several scientific instruments for NASA and ESA spacecraft, including ExoMars, Venus Express, Rosetta, Mars Express, Dawn, and Cassini.

http://www.asi.it/en/agency Outlines the organization and objectives of the ASI (Italian Space Agency). The site profiles national and collaborative missions and has biographies of Italian astronauts. There are links to Italian Space Agency sites with more in-depth information on current space projects.