TOTEM Physics plans

The TOTEM experiment at the LHC is designed and optimized to measure the total proton-proton cross section with a precision of 1 ÷ 2%, to study the nuclear elastic proton-proton cross section over a wide range of the squared four-momentum transfer and to perform a comprehensive physics program on diffractive processes partially in cooperation with the CMS experiment. In this contribution the status and the Physics program of the TOTEM experiment will be presented as well as the prospects for the TOTEM standalone measurements at the startup of the LHC.