Paolo Nespoli

Italian astronaut and engineer (born 1957)

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Key Takeaways

Major Paolo Angelo Nespoli (born 6 April 1957) is an Italian astronaut and engineer of the European Space Agency (ESA).
In December 2010 he again traveled into space aboard the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft as an Expedition 26/27 flight engineer.
He was also the European Space Agency's oldest active astronaut prior to his retirement in 2019.
He is married to Russian Alexandra Ryabova, and they have one daughter and a son.
He supports Serie A team Inter.

Major Paolo Angelo Nespoli (born 6 April 1957) is an Italian astronaut and engineer of the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2007, he first traveled into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as a mission specialist of STS-120. In December 2010 he again traveled into space aboard the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft as an Expedition 26/27 flight engineer. Nespoli's third spaceflight was on board Soyuz MS-05, which launched in July 2017 for Expedition 52/53. He was also the European Space Agency's oldest active astronaut prior to his retirement in 2019.

Personal

Nespoli's hometown is Verano Brianza, in northern Italy. He is married to Russian Alexandra Ryabova, and they have one daughter and a son. Nespoli enjoys Scuba diving, piloting aircraft, photography, and building electronic equipment and computer software. He supports Serie A team Inter.

Education

He received his bachelor's degree in Aerospace engineering in 1988 and his master's degree in 1989 in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Polytechnic University in New York.

He is a professional engineer, a private pilot, an advanced scuba diver, and a nitrox diver. Due to his military background, he is also a master parachutist, parachute instructor, jump master, high altitude low opening and Special Forces operator in the 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment. He joined the Italian Army in 1977.