Three members of the Italian Space Agency’s board of directors resigned on 5 August, leading to the dissolution of the board. The resignations clear the way for the appointment of an extraordinary commissioner to head the agency after the death of president Teodoro Valente on 16 July. Acting vice president Elda Turco Bulgherini, along with directors Stefano Gualandris and Stefano Arcifa, submitted their resignations, the agency said in a statement on 5 August. In an interview with AGEEI/Aerospazionews on 6 August, Arcifa said the departures would allow the agency to address the leadership vacuum before key upcoming events, including the European Space Agency ministerial meeting in Italy in December during Italy’s ESA presidency. Italian law requires the appointment of an extraordinary commissioner when a third of the board is vacant, and the commissioner may serve for up to 12 months to ensure agency functioning until a new president and board take office. The agency did not indicate who might be selected, but Arcifa said the nominee would be a high‑profile individual. This is not the first instance of an extraordinary commissioner leading ASI; Piero Benvenuti filled the role from 14 November 2018 to 3 May 2019 after the previous president’s removal, and the previous board members’ terms had expired earlier.