SGAC and the Italian Space agency ASI are proud to announce that three outstanding SGAC members will be sponsored to attend the 69th International Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany from 01 – 05 October 2018 . ASI will provide scholarships up to 2500€ to all recipients.
Paolo Guardabasso (ITALY)
Paolo Guardabasso, born in 1991, has obtained with honours a M. Sc. in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino in 2016. During his studies, he spent six months in Paris at IPSA (Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées) and he carried out his master thesis at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in California. After working for one year as a technologist in Milan in 2017, Paolo enrolled in the SpacE Exploration and Development Systems (SEEDS) Specializing Master, a one-year joint program between Politecnico di Torino, ISAE-Supaero and the University of Leicester. He is currently working full-time as a project manager during the master’s 6-month project work, a feasibility study of a human mission on the Moon focused on In-Situ Resources Utilization for propellant production. Paolo has a strong interest in innovation in the space sector and he would like to start a PhD on Space Debris simulation and mitigation.
In his free time, he is a self-taught pianist and a traveller, always keen to explore new places and meet people around the world.
“Winning the ASI/SGAC scholarship to attend my first IAC is the crowning achievement of my Aerospace studies and a tremendous encouragement for my career.“
Matteo Losacco (ITALY)
Matteo Losacco was born in Milan in 1990. He obtained his Bachelor and Master’s degree in Space Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, and he is currently a PhD student at the same university, working with a research team including the Italian Space Agency and the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics.His research is focused on the development of innovative orbit determination algorithms for radar sensors in multibeam configuration. His scientific interests include impact probability computation of Near-Earths Objects using advanced Monte Carlo methods and space trajectories optimization.
“I am very grateful for receiving the ASI-SGAC scholarship. The participation to the 2018 SGAC and IAC is an incredible opportunity to share ideas with experts in our field.”
Francesco Cavenago (ITALY)
Francesco Cavenago received his B.Sc. degree in Aerospace Engineering and his M.Sc. degree in Space Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, in September 2013 and April 2016 respectively. He developed his Master’s thesis at Michigan State University, where he studied a novel implementation of impedance control for robotic manipulators. After the graduation, Francesco worked as research assistant in the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano. He collaborated on modeling and control of a space robotic arm with flexible joints, designed by Leonardo SpA.
Francesco is currently a Ph.D. student in Aerospace Engineering at the same university. His research focuses on dynamics and control of floating space robots. Especially, he is researching techniques to handle contacts between the robot and another object during on-orbit operations. He is also involved in other projects, including spacecraft relative state estimation and modeling and control of planetary legged robots and flexible manipulators.
“I am very grateful for being awarded the ASI/SGAC scholarship, which gives me the opportunity to attend the IAC and the SGC. I will have the great chance to share my research and exchange ideas with other space professionals, contributing to progress in space sector. This stimulating experience will enrich me from both personal and professional point of view.”