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Simone D'Amico
Associate Professor at Stanford University; W. M. Keck Faculty Scholar in the School of Engineering
Simone D'Amico is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, holding the W. M. Keck Faculty Scholar position in the School of Engineering.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Politecnico di Milano in 2003 and completed his Ph.D. at Delft University of Technology in 2010.
D'Amico worked as a research scientist and team leader at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) from 2003 to 2014, contributing significantly to spacecraft formation-flying and rendezvous missions like GRACE, TanDEM-X, PRISMA, and PROBA-3.
In 2014, he transitioned to Stanford as an Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, eventually becoming a Terman Faculty Fellow and establishing the Space Rendezvous Laboratory (SLAB). He also serves as the Satellite Advisor for the Student Space Initiative.
His research focuses on developing miniature distributed space systems for innovative science and exploration, covering advanced astrodynamics, GN&C, and space system engineering to address the challenges of novel space architectures.
Dr. D'Amico has spearheaded mission concepts such as the miniaturized distributed occulter/telescope (mDOT) system for direct imaging of exozodiacal dust and exoplanets, and the Autonomous Nanosatellite Swarming (ANS) mission for studying small celestial bodies.
He chairs NASA's Starshade Science and Technology Working Group (TSWG) and serves on various advisory boards of space startup companies and VC edge funds. Additionally, he is involved in professional societies like AAS, AIAA, and IEEE.
Simone D'Amico has been recognized with several awards, including the Leonardo 500 Award, Stanford's Introductory Seminar Excellence Award, and accolades from organizations like FAI/NAA, the International Honor Society for Systems Engineering OAA, DLR, and NASA.
He holds a prominent position as a Fellow of the NAE's US FOE and is actively engaged in academic, research, and advisory roles across the aerospace industry.
His academic journey includes studying Aerospace Engineering at MIP-Politecnico Di Milano, earning a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Technische Universiteit Delft, and maintaining affiliations with prestigious institutions and organizations throughout his career.
