Space Systems

The first researches related to space problems started in the early 1980’s, when the first professor in spaceflight mechanics joined the Department. Starting in the 1990’s, a small group of permanent and temporary researchers dedicated to space research was set up, allowing the exploration of a wider range of topics. In the same period, DIA started the first research and training activities performed in close cooperation with industry. Since then, a variety of research activities have been completed, such as Department Overview 1-5 spacecraft design, mission planning/scheduling, planetary exploration, trajectory optimization, image processing, navigation, control and filtering, many of academic interest and some with also an industrial interest. The financial support comes mostly from the Italian Ministry of University and Research, from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), from the European Space Agency (ESA) and from the major Italian companies active in the field.