Alumni
13 Apr 2022
Meeting with our alumni Giuseppe Cataldo (S2010 ), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Giuseppe Cataldo, who graduated from the engineering programme in 2010, is Head of Back Planetary Protection for the ERO-CCRS mission in the Mars Sample Return programme, and Chief Engineer for NASA’s EXCLAIM mission.
He talks to us about his academic and professional career.
You have a very cosmopolitan background. Could you tell us what motivated your choices?
I was born and raised in southern Italy, in a small town by the sea. I started my studies in aerospace engineering at the Politecnico di Milano before applying for a double-diploma programme in Europe. Although there were several options in terms of destination, I chose France and ISAE-SUPAERO because I had never lived abroad and I wanted to experience a new culture and learn a new language.
Therefore, studying at an English-speaking university was not my first choice, and ISAE-SUPAERO offered all courses in French. In addition, the school was already the best in France and one of the best in Europe for aerospace engineering. It also offered a lot of connections with companies, which was bound to make it easier to enter the world of work. Finally, everything was confirmed when I arrived and stayed there, and I couldn’t have been happier!
The United States, however, was not in my initial plans. I simply seized an opportunity that led me to move to the other side of the Atlantic to fulfil one of my dreams, and I owe this to ISAE-SUPAERO.
You've been working at NASA for 12 years, how did you get this job?
It all started at ISAE-SUPAERO in 2008. I was in my second year when I received an email from the Career Center inviting all European students to apply for the NASA Academy, NASA’s student excellence programme. ESA was offering two positions and CNES one. I had always dreamed of working in space, and in particular for agencies like NASA and ESA. This application was a unique opportunity to at least take the first step towards that goal. I knew the competition was tough, but I had to give it a go. So I sent my application to the ESA, but I didn’t expect that a few weeks later I would be selected for interviews and then definitively as one of the two Europeans who would be leaving for Washington in the summer of 2009. It was a dream come true!
The NASA Academy transformed me.
I did research in the field of infrared astrophysics and thanks to this experience I returned to NASA the following year for my final year project, after which I got a job there. I then went on to do a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with NASA, which enabled me to work on one of the most formidable projects in history, the James Webb telescope.
What are your current missions? Can you tell us about the James Webb Telescope?
I’m currently Head of Back Planetary Protection for the ERO-CCRS mission in the Mars Sample Return programme, which aims to return samples of the Martian soil and atmosphere to Earth. My job is to design and build all the mechanisms and procedures to ensure that the capsule and sample container do not break during atmospheric re-entry and landing, to prevent potentially biological particles from being dispersed and contaminating our planet.
I am also the chief engineer for the EXCLAIM mission, an infrared telescope that will be launched into the stratosphere in 2023, and for the infrared camera for the PRIME telescope, which is being built in South Africa and will be operational by the end of the year. Between 2014 and 2020 I had the honour of working on the James Webb telescope, which was finally launched in December 2021. James Webb is the largest and most powerful space telescope ever built. For this project, I developed an innovative method for validating the mathematical models used to assess the telescope’s performance during the integration and testing phase. I also contributed to the testing of the thermal system, which enabled me to work on the hardware. It was a unique experience that taught me a lot about teamwork in a large-scale project. It also allowed me to develop things for the first time or to solve problems that nobody had ever had before. It took a lot of creativity and initiative!
Traditionally, we ask our alumni if they have any advice to give our students. Do you have a message for them?
My main advice is to be curious and proactive, in other words, always exploring to find the answers to your questions. Be active in shaping your career path by looking for opportunities to grow in your academic and professional training, through internships, courses, extra-curricular activities, etc. The university years are the best time to broaden your knowledge and develop the skills that will help you in the world of work.
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