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Alcatel Alenia Space collaborates to the ALTCRISS project For the International Space Station

18 May 2006

The ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS) project dedicated to perform a long term measurement of the radiation environment at different points inside the International Space Station (ISS) has begun. As part of the project, Alcatel Alenia Space has realized the materials for the shielding of cosmic rays in its Turin plant, Italy.

This mission, originating from the collaboration between Alcatel Alenia Space, the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics, universities and international agencies - and approved by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) - will enable to improve the cosmic rays materials and systems protection inside the Space Station.

Cesare Lobascio, head of the Functional Architecture and Environment Unit within Alcatel Alenia Space's Space Infrastructures & Transportation activities, said: "Future space missions' crews will be exposed for extended periods of time to the dangerous mix of cosmic radiations coming from outside the Earth's magnetosphere. Alcatel Alenia Space has designed and built 50% of the ISS's pressurized volume. Our objective is to ensure that future astronauts will be fully protected from radiation when traveling well beyond the ISS' low earth orbit position."

The experiment, based on the Sileye-3/Alteino measuring device, will also measure continuously the cosmic radiation flow and its changes over time, especially in relation to long and short term solar activity, induced respectively by the solar cycle and solar eruptions.

The dosimeters and data concerning the ALTCRISS experiment, put into orbit on 21 December 2005 on board the Russian Progress-20P space vehicle, was returned to Earth by the Soyuz capsule after four months aboard the International Space Station. They will be analyzed over the next few months. Meanwhile, on 29 March 2006, Soyuz transported new dosimeters and devices to continue the ALTCRISS experiment. All the data received so far show that the instrument is working as predicted and the experiment is proceeding successfully. The ALTCRISS mission should continue for the next three years.

About Alcatel Alenia Space
Alcatel Alenia Space is the European leader in satellite systems, at the forefront of orbit infrastructures. Created in July 2005, the company brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody's future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defense to science and observation. Alcatel Alenia Space is an Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) (67%) and Finmeccanica (Milan:SIFI.MI, FNC.IM) (33%) company.