Special Session 11

In order to utilize space for scientific and commercial purposes it is necessary to understand the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space environment where most of the activities are now, and will be, carried out.
LEO environment includes severe hazards such as Atomic Oxygen (AO), Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation, Ionizing Radiation, High Vacuum, Plasma, Micrometeoroids And Debris, Severe Temperature Cycles and, for some systems, the Re-Entry Environment. It is important to note that these environmental characteristics do affect the materials and structures at the same time, with a remarkable synergistic effect.
In order to understand these synergistic effects, whether experimental or theoretical and numerical approaches are of essential importance.
Analyze and comprehend the operative environment becomes a key point to extend operative life of satellites and structures and to withstand aggressive conditions as re-entry phase is. In fact Re-entry mission evolution requires to develop reusable integrated systems, which in turns should be based on advanced materials, such as ceramic materials, able to deal with the harsh space environmental conditions. In particular, long duration missions are putting and will put aerospace vehicle structures to the test of onerous exposition, as said, to critical orbital phenomena which may seriously downgrade the materials performance and compromise a critical phase as the re-entry is.

Prof. Mario Marchetti, Full Professor at the Sapienza University of Rome, School of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Faculty, worked for many years in the fileds of Aerospace Structures and Materials, with a particular focus on the interaction between space structures and composite materials with the Space Environment.
Prof. Marchetti has been a member of the teaching staff of the Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. course, and Director of the Master on "Composite and Nanotechnology for Aerospace" of the Rome University "La Sapienza".
He has been the Director of Astronautic, Electric and Energetic Department of University La Sapienza of Rome and the Director of the Laboratory SASLab (Scientific Aerospace Solutions Laboratory) of the University La Sapienza where students, researchers and PhD students, worked.
After retirement, he joined the group of Prof. Fabio Santoni in the Aerospace Systems Laboratory, where main researcher fields are design and manufacturing of orbital space systems, space environment interaction engineering, hot structures, mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic characterization of aerospace systems.

Andrea Delfini received the University Master degree in Aerospace Engineering from “Sapienza” University of Rome in 2007 and the University Master degree in composites materials and nanotechnologies in aerospace applications from “Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy, in 2012. He also received the Ph.D in Energy and Environment from Sapienza University of Rome in 2020.
He is currently with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (D.I.M.A.) as a Research Fellow and also conducts research activities in the Aerospace Systems Laboratory of the Department of Astronautic, Electric an Energy Engineering (D.I.A.E.E.).
His research is related to Thermal Protection Systems for re-entry applications, Space Environment Interaction Engineering, Nano-satellites design and manufacturing and the EM fields and Space Systems Interaction.