Paolo Angelo Nespoli
Paolo Angelo Nespoli is an Italian engineer, former soldier, and retired European Space Agency astronaut who flew on both the Space Shuttle and Soyuz. His career tied Italian aerospace engineering to ESA's long-duration work aboard the International .
- Born
- April 6, 1957
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Milan, Lombardy,Italy
Flights
3
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
313 days, 2 hours, 36 minutes
Bio
Nespoli served in the Italian Army before studying engineering and entering the European astronaut pathway. Selected by ESA in 1998, he trained with NASA and international partners as Europe expanded its role in ISS assembly, research, and operations.
His first mission was STS-120, which delivered the Harmony module to the ISS and included the ESA Esperia mission. He later flew Soyuz TMA-20 for the MagISStra long-duration mission and Soyuz MS-05 for 52/53, logging more than 313 days in space. Expeditions 26/27 and 52/53 describe his station assignments inside those Soyuz cards rather than becoming extra missions.