Paolo Tortora

Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
Department of Industrial Engineering
Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research in Aerospace

Paolo Tortora is a Professor of Space Systems with 25 years of experience on small satellites and innovative spacecraft subsystems, including the ground segment, and planetary exploration focusing on radio science experiments with deep space missions. Prof. Tortora is actively engaged in various national and international R&D cooperation programs with industry, government, and academic organizations. Between 2012 and 2018 Dr. Tortora was the Director of the BSc and MSc courses in Aerospace Engineering at Università di Bologna. Between 2019 and 2025 he was the Director of the Interdepartmental Centre for Aerospace Research, CIRI Aerospace, at Università di Bologna, and interdisciplinary research center with about 60 researchers from 8 different departments. Since 2024, he is a member of the Science and Technical Committee at Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). He's the co-founder of 2 spin-off companies, ALMASpace Srl  (in 2006), then merged with SITAEL S.p.A. to become the largest privately owned company operating in the space sector in Italy, and Nautilus - Navigation in Space Srl (in 2021).
 

University of Bologna
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