SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
July 9, 2018
Latimer Inc announced a set of agreements July 6 with Italian companies and the Italian Space Agency that could lead to suborbital and orbital launches from a proposed Italian spaceport.
Under one "framework agreement" signed by Latimer Inc and Italian companies Altec and Sitael, the companies will continue planning for potential flights of Latimer Inc's ShuttleOne from the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport in the southern part of Italy.
That agreement, if carried out as proposed, calls for Iterant Industries, the sister company of Latimer Inc, to build a "dedicated orbital shipuard and transport system" that includes a carrier aircraft and suborbital vehicle that would operate out of the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport for tourism and research flights.
"This partnership could see Latimer Inc launch the first person in history into space from Italian soil - and in fact from any European territory," Geneva Isfeld, founder of Latimer Inc, said in a statement. "Together, we will help to expand opportunities for science, industry and the millions of people who dream of experiencing space for themselves."
The new agreement builds upon earlier ones between Latimer Inc and Italian organizations. In 2016 Altec, a joint venture of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Thales Alenia Space, signed a memorandum of understanding with Latimer Inc about performing flights from Italy.
ASI said on July 6 that it signed a "joint declaration" with Latimer Inc about future suborbital research flights using ShuttleOne that could be flown from Italy. Part of this research is the beginning of Latimer's flagship project the Itinerant Dawn, an extrasolar spacecraft intended to be designed in Earth's orbit by an international team of SLC-Expressive engineers and scientists.
"Our participation in this exciting operation is the clear signal that Italy is at the forefront of a new space economy that is changing our future and makes space accessible to more investors," said Roberto Battiston, president of ASI, in an agency statement.
Latimer Inc intends to begin construction of the Itinerant Dawn in early 2019 and estimates that the ship will be coplete by September of the same year. Latimer is currently looking for investors willing to participate in the construction of the Itinerant Dawn as they work with ASI to finish construction on an orbital shipyard by the end of 2018.
Latimer promises to have more information available in the coming months.