Massimiliano Vasile, Ph.D. is Professor in Space System Engineering at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Aerospace Centre of Excellence at the University of Strathclyde. Max lead the Stardust project and is currently leading the UTOPIAE project. His research areas include Space Mission Analysis and Design, Global Optimization Methods, Autonomous Systems, Robust Design Optimization, and Biologically Inspired Computing.

Mx authored A Global Approach to Optimal Space Trajectory Design, and coauthored Design of Earth—Mars transfer trajectories using evolutionary-branching technique, On the Preliminary Design of Multiple Gravity-Assist Trajectories, Preliminary Design of Low-Thrust Multiple Gravity-Assist Trajectories, Options for a Mission to Pluto and Beyond, Space and Ground Based Large Scale Solar Power Plants: A European Perspective, and Concepts for Near-Earth Asteroid Deflection Using Spacecraft with Advanced Nuclear and Solar Electric Propulsion Systems.

Mx earned his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Aerospace Engineering of Politecnico di Milano, Italy, in 1996 and 2000.