NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe views Node 2 at Alenia Spazio in Turin

On Saturday, January 18th, the NASA administrator, Sean O’Keefe, and the
President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Sergio Vetrella, visited Alenia
Spazio, a company of the Finmeccanica group, in Turin where Node 2 of the
International Space Station is currently being completed. In March, ASI will
deliver this element of the orbiting complex to NASA in Florida for its
final preparation for launch with the Shuttle on February 19th, 2004.

“It is with great pride,” declared Maurizio Tucci, Managing Director of
Alenia Spazio, “that today we can show Mr. O’Keefe the results of our
efforts and abilities: Node 2 is a real technological jewel and perhaps the
most important and complex element of the International Space Station. And
we are going to deliver it on time with the usual guarantees of the absolute
quality of our product as already proven with the Leonardo, Raffaello and
Donatello MPLM logistic modules. Mr. O’Keefe’s visit,” Tucci continued, “is
a sign of the interest in the Italian space industry, and Alenia Spazio in
particular. With the return of investments in the Space Station, Turin can
regain the strategic role it has always had in the international space
system.”