On 14–15 October 2026, Aurelia took part in the workshop “MAIA: Air Quality, Aerosols and Human Health from Space”, organized by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) at its headquarters in Rome.

MAIA (Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols) is a mission developed by ASI in cooperation with NASA/JPL. Using a multi-angle, multispectral, and polarimetric radiometer, it will characterize the size, composition, and amount of airborne particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), with the goal of better understanding the links between air pollution and human health. The workshop brought together the scientific and institutional community to discuss the mission’s potential and the use of its data across research and application fields.

During the event, Aurelia presented its environmental monitoring activities, based on in situ atmospheric measurements from tethered aerostats and radiosondes. Among these is the ClimpactSonde, developed within the AIREMIT project, funded by SESAR through Engage, to monitor pollutants in aircraft flight corridors at cruise altitude.

In situ vertical profiles and direct measurements are a natural complement to satellite Earth Observation, supporting the validation and interpretation of data acquired from space. Taking part in the MAIA workshop was a valuable opportunity to present this approach to the community working on air quality from space and to explore future collaborations.

We thank ASI for organizing the event and all participants for two days of insightful discussion.