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Argotec has been awarded the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Small Satellite Mission of the Year for its LICIACube mission. The annual award recognizes missions that demonstrate significant advancements in smallsat capabilities.

LICIACube, funded by the Italian Space Agency, was part of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in September 2022. It was the first attempt to target, impact, and move an asteroid in space. As the only secondary mission aboard NASA’s DART, LICIACube aimed to document the impact between the DART probe and the asteroid Dimorphos, making it the first deep space smallsat to undertake such a mission.

During its mission, LICIACube, under autonomous navigation, performed an asteroid fly-by at a speed of 4.35 miles per second. It captured 627 photos that revealed debris streaming from Dimorphos. The successful performance of LICIACube showcased Argotec’s platform’s reliability and technical excellence.

Alongside this achievement, Argotec has recently announced its plan to invest millions of dollars in starting operations and establishing a facility in Largo, Maryland. This investment reinforces the company’s commitment and success in the U.S. market.

In addition, construction has commenced on Argotec’s new SpacePark in Turin, Italy, with an expected completion date in early 2025. The facility will consist of approximately 120,000 square feet of covered space for a highly automated production plant, along with over 180,000 square feet of green space as part of Argotec’s dedication to sustainability.

David Avino, Argotec’s CEO and founder, expressed pride in the team’s hard work and technical expertise, stating that the award recognizes their exceptional performance. The company looks forward to continuing their work in both low Earth orbit and deep space missions, including expanding their presence in the United States.

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