CEPIT NAME AND GOALS

1987, June 3: CEPIT group is founded  at Politecnico di Milano during the Workshop on Italsat Propagation Experiment. The members are potential experimenters from 8 European countries and Canada,  including  5 Telecoms (Germany, Sweden, UK, NL, Denmark), 5 Universities and  4 equipment suppliers, as well as representants of  ESA/ESTEC, EUTELSAT, Piano Spaziale Nazionale, Selenia Spazio and Telespazio. Prof. Aldo Paraboni, as one of main promoters of Italsat Experiment, and among scientific leaders of propagation community becomes naturally the CEPIT Chairman, in charge since then. 

1991, January 15: the ITALSAT launch. The  flying unit  F1 is  placed in geostationary orbit, at 13.2º East  with the lifetime plan of 5 years. The propagation payload  features 3 beacons, at 20, 40 and 50 GHz, the communication payload is operating at   20 and 30 GHz (see Italsat specs). 

 1992 , April 1-2: CEPIT II meeting is held in Milano and Spino d'Adda,  organized by CSTS CNR, with the partecipation of  ASI, Alenia Spazio, Telespazio, OPEX, ESA/ESOC, and experimenters  from Austria, Germany, Norway, France, UK and Italy (FUB-Roma,  CSELT-Torino, CSTS CNR- Politecnico di Milano).Proceedings available at  CPT2PROCs 

1993-1994: Italsat Chapter is hosted at OPEX (Olympus Propagation Experiment) and NAPEX  (National American Propagation Experiments) meetings.

1995, October 9: CEPIT III meeting is held in Rome, as a part of  the  Italian Propagation Day. It is attended by  50 people and  features 24 speakers.  The venue and the date are arranged to give the participants the opportunity to attend  the first "Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE" held in Rome on October 10-12. Proceedings available at  CPT3PROCs

1996, August 8: the launch of the ITALSAT  F2 , second flying unit,  placed in geostationary orbit at   16.4° East, designed for Italian coverage, carrying communication 20/30 GHz payload and  20GHz telemetry beacon .

1996, September 23: CEPIT IV meeting is held in  Firenze, hosted by the CNR  IROE, the day before the SECOND Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE : among attendees are 12 active experimenters, still some new projects are  starting; ASI announces Italsat F1 to remain in orbit  over 1998 and more (hopefully end of millennium) with propellant saving option: this implies that N-S axis will be not more controlled within a box; a good tracking procedures will be necessary. Proceedings available at  CPT4PROCs

1997, September 16-17: CEPIT V  meeting is held in Sorrento within the  program of  THIRD Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE;  ASI and Telespazio confirm the possibility of keeping the F1 in orbit until the end of the century, with propellant saving option.Proceedings available at  CPT5PROCs

1998, November 2-4: CEPIT VI meeting is held in Venice  as a session of the   FOURTH Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE. Proceedings available at  CPT6PROCs

1999, October 19: CEPIT VII meeting is held     in Taormina, Sicily, traditionally hosted by the (FIFTH) Ka BAND UTILIZATION     CONFERENCE.  Proceedings available at  CPT7PROCs

2000, June 2: CEPIT VIII meeting is held in     Cleveland, Ohio, USA, hosted by the SIXTH Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE. We     participate to the celebrations of the ACTS program and the decomissioning ceremony of the     ACTS spacecraft. ASI confirmes Italsat F1 in excellent shape and in orbit at least for one     more year. Measurments are still carried out in Madrid, at RAL - Sparsholt/Chilbolton     (UK),  Milano,  and Rome. Proceedings available at   CPT8PROCs

2001,CEPIT IX meeting is held within  the SEVENTH Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE on September 27 at  the Congress Center of the Grand Hotel Miramare, in  Santa Margherita Ligure (adjacent to the famous Portofino), Italy .   Proceedings available at  CPT9PROC

2001, January  26 : END OF ITALSAT F1 MISSION 

ASI  declairs the END OF ITALSAT F1 MISSION. The official communication faxed on Friday, January  26, states that  "the satellite reached the end of its activity due to the lack of fuel. The final manouvres aiming to move the spacecraft away from the nominal position in geostationary orbit will start on January 29, 2001 at 9:00. At 16:30 of the same day the payloads will be gradually shut off".

2002, CEPIT X (last) meeting is held within  the EIGHTH Ka BAND UTILIZATION CONFERENCE, on September 25 in Baveno, Lago Maggiore, Italy, jointly with EXPRESS group of experimenters for French satellite STENTOR.   Proceedings available at  CPT10PROCs .

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