CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre

CIRA, the Italian Aerospace Research Centre, is an aerospace research organisation based in Capua, Italy. Its Italian name is Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali. The company's legal name is CIRA S.c.p.a. It works in both aeronautics and space.

CIRA organises its work into five research areas. These are aeronautics, space, earth observation, cross-cutting research and infrastructures. The centre has space qualification facilities. It is also building digital twins of them.

In space, CIRA has completed space qualification tests on the first Parthenopean microsatellite, IREOS-0. The same tests covered two MiniLab 3.0 payloads.

In aeronautics, CIRA has finished preliminary tests on a cryogenic tank for zero-emission aviation. The work is part of a project called H2ELIOS. Zero-emission flight is one of the topics the centre covers.

CIRA also engages with the education world. In September 2026 the centre reported on its work at POLITO, covering artificial intelligence, digital twins and the future of aerospace education.

CIRA runs a visitor centre. In July 2026 the visitor centre received a mural by the artist Jorit.

CIRA's news shows the range of its work. Projects cover satellites, cryogenic tanks for zero-emission aviation and digital models of qualification facilities. Its work reaches from aircraft technology to space systems.

Services

• Aeronautics research
• Space research
• Earth observation
• Cross-cutting research
• Space qualification testing
• Digital twins