Massimiliano Vasile is currently Professor of Space Systems Engineering and Director of the Aerospace Centre of Excellence at the University of Strathclyde. 

He received his M.S. in 1996 and Ph.D. in 2001 from Politecnico di Milano.  He sits on the AIAA Astrodynamics and IAF Space Power committees, and chairs the IEEE task force on Emerging Technologies in Space and Aerospace. He is scientific adviser to the UK delegation to UNOOSA and sits on the UN Space Mission Planning Advisory Group.  His research interests include Computational Astrodynamics, Space Sustainability, Computational Intelligence and Optimisation Under Uncertainty exploring the limits of computer science at solving highly complex problems in science and engineering.  Asteroid 2002 PX33 “Maxvasile” was named in his honour in recognition of Prof Vasile’s contributions to the development of innovative techniques for the design and optimisation of space trajectories and his work on asteroid manipulation.

Prof. Vasile has developed novel numerical methods for single and multi-objective optimisation under uncertainty, has pioneered the use of computational intelligence in astrodynamics, and the use of imprecise probability theories in the optimisation of space systems.  His research has been funded by the European Space Agency, the UK and French Space Agencies, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Planetary Society and the European Commission.

He is an AIAA Associate Fellow and an IEEE Senior Member.