Bachelor of science in physics and Ph.D. in astrophysics both from the University of Rome, 1978; in 1984, he became a permanent researcher of the Space Physics Institute (IFSI-CNR) and was involved in the Research on Electrodynamic Tether Effects (RETE) experiment, one of the payloads selected for the Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1); since 1996 NASA astronaut; hobbies: Music, volleyball, soccer, swimming; returned to European Astronaut Centre, but still an active ESA astronaut; since 2004 Italian Member of the European Parliament.