Massimiliano Vasile is Professor of Space Systems Engineering in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Previously, he was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Head of Research for the Space Advanced Research Team at the University of Glasgow. He developed Direct Transcription by Finite Elements on Spectral Basis for optimal control, implemented in the ESA software DITAN for low-thrust trajectory design. He has worked on the global optimization of space trajectories developing innovative single and multi-objective optimization algorithms, and on the combination of optimization and imprecise probabilities to mitigate the effect of uncertainty in decision making and autonomous planning. More recently, he has undertaken extensive research on the development of effective techniques for asteroid deflection and manipulation. His research has been funded by the European Space Agency, the EPSRC, the Planetary Society and the European Commission. Prof Vasile is currently leading Stardust, an EU-funded international research and training network on active debris removal and asteroid manipulation.

Domenico Quagliarella received in May 1988 the MS degree in Aeronautical Engineering and in July 1993 the Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University “Federico II” in Naples, Italy. In July 1988, he got a research engineer position at CIRA, where he is currently head of the Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design Group of Fluid Mechanics Department. His research interests are the application of hybrid multi-objective optimization methods to aerodynamic and multidisciplinary design, the use of approximate fitness evaluators for efficiency improvement in optimization, and uncertainty quantification for robust and reliability-based design. He is the author of about 80 international journal and conference papers. He is also editor of four edited books and two special issues of academic journals. He participated in several EU projects, and he also carried out research activity in the framework of “Clean Sky” and “Clean Sky 2” public-private partnerships between the European Commission and the Aeronautical Industry.