The new Ionospheric Observatory in Bahia Blanca, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina has been inaugurated. The Observatory is equipped with an AIS-INGV ionoprobe, developed in the laboratories of the Roma2 Section of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INVG).
The opening will kick off the experimental research of Argentina’s new Ionospheric Observatory thanks to the cooperation between the University of Bahia Blanca, INGV and its spin-off SpacEarth. INGV has been cooperating with the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional Facultad Regional in Tucumán (UTN-FRT) since 2006, having installed a first AIS-INGV ionoprobe in Tucumán already in 2007. From 2013, the cooperation was also extended to the Facultad Regional de Bahia Blanca (UTN-FRBB), and their successful cooperative efforts has produced the latest success story.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by the mayor of Bahia, the director of the National Technological University and other eminent local authorities. In representation of Italy was the Italian Consul General Riccardo Smimmo, the new science attaché at the Italian Embassy, Jose M. Kenny and his predecessor Gabriele Paparo. Bruno Zolesi, associated editor at INGV said: “The contribution of INGV and in particular of the ionospheric group of the Roma2 Section in achieving this important result was greatly appreciated and emphasised by all the participants in the event.”
