National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058
Biographical Data

Roberto Vittori
Astronaut, European Space Agency

PERSONAL DATA: Born on 15 October 1964 in Viterbo, Italy. Married to the former Valeria Nardi of Citta’ di Castello, Italy. They have three children. Enjoys soccer, running, swimming and reading.

EDUCATION: Graduated from the Italian Air Force Academy in 1989. Completed basic training with the U.S. Air Force at Reese Air Force Base in Texas, US, in 1990. Graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1995. Completed the Italian Air Force’s Accident Prevention course (Guidonia A.F.B., Italy) and Accident Investigation course (Kirtland A.F.B., New Mexico, US) between 1996 and 1997. He holds a Master Degree in Aeronautical Sciences from the University of Naples, and a Master Degree in Physics from the University of Perugia.

SPECIAL HONORS: Academic award at the Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas. Honor student at the Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland. Honor student at the United States Flight Safety School, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Italian Air Force Top Medals for Special Piloting Skills and for Extended Service (1997).

EXPERIENCE: Following graduation from pilot training in 1990, Roberto Vittori flew Tornado GR1 aircraft with the 155th Squadron, 50th Wing, Piacenza, Italy from 1991 to 1994. During that time, he qualified for day/night air-to-air refueling as well as a formation leader.

In 1995, he completed the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School training. He then served at the Italian Test Centre as project pilot for the development of the new European aircraft, the Euro-Fighter EF2000, until 1998. From 1996 to 1998, he was the national representative in the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) research and development program.

In 1997, he attended the U.S. Air Force Flight Safety School and from 1997 to 1998, he was wing Flight Safety Officer at the Italian Test Centre. He was also a teacher of aerodynamics for the Italian Air Force’s Accident Investigation Course.

Roberto Vittori is a colonel in the Italian Air Force. He has logged nearly 2500 hours in over 40 different aircraft types, including F-104, Tornado GR1, F-18, AMX, M-2000, G-222 and P-180.

In July 1998, he was selected as an astronaut by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and, one month later, he joined the European Astronaut Corps, whose home base is the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.

In August 1998, he was relocated to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and entered the 1998 Astronaut class for participating in a training program that qualifies astronauts for future assignment on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Roberto Vittori completed that training in 2000 and subsequently performed technical duties in the Space Shuttle Operations Systems Branch of NASA’s Astronaut Office.

In August 2001 he took up training as Soyuz board engineer at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC) in Star City, near Moscow, in preparation of his first spaceflight in spring 2002.

In August 2002, Roberto Vittori was relocated to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he supported the New Generation Space Vehicles Branch.

In October 2004 Roberto Vittori resumed Soyuz training at Star City for his second mission to the International Space Station in 2005.

From 2005 onwards, while still on the ESA’s active astronaut list, Vittori carried out duties for the Italian Air Force and the Italian Government. He served as Deputy Head of the International Relations Office of the Air Force, responsible for the feasibility study for launching microsatellites from an airborne platform, as representative of the Defense Department in the Science and Technology Committee of the Italian Space Agency and was a technical coordinator of the joint space initiatives between the Research and Defense Departments. He also taught the semester course “Human Spaceflight” at “La Sapienza” University of Rome.

In December 2008, Vittori was relocated to the Johnson Center, to continue his training for future Shuttle and International Space Station missions.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: From April 25 to May 5, 2002, Roberto Vittori flew to the International Space Station as a spaceflight participant, under an agreement between the Russian Space Agency Rosaviakosmos, the Italian Space Agency and ESA. One of the main goals of this mission, which was named “Marco Polo,” was the delivery to the Station of a new model of Soyuz spacecraft, the TM-34, to be used by the resident crew in the event of an emergency.

From April 14 - 24, 2005, Vittori flew again to the Space Station as spaceflight participant. For that mission, called “Eneide”, he was the Soyuz flight engineer on both ascent and return, and, as such, he took an active role in piloting and docking the spacecraft. On board the ISS, Vittori performed an extensive science experiment program.

APRIL 2009