Giuseppe Cataldo is the lead engineer of several NASA missions. His expertise is in the design and optimization of space systems for astronomy and astrophysics, gained through 10+ years at NASA and earning his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here, he worked in both the Man-Vehicle Lab, headed by former NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, and the Space Systems Lab, headed by former NASA Chief Technologist David Miller, under the direction of former NASA astronaut Prof. Jeff Hoffman.
Giuseppe has contributed to a variety of NASA missions and projects such as:
He first joined NASA in 2009 fully sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the two European students selected for the NASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership program for talented students. During the program, he was one of the select recipients of the John Mather Nobel Scholar Award.
Giuseppe is fond of space policy and pursues outreach presentations for young students, professionals and the general public around the world. He speaks six languages, is part of the NASA GSFC Speakers Bureau, and contributes to public outreach and educational activities for the Embassy of Italy to the United States of America in Washington, DC.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing the violin and the piano, swimming, hiking, skiing, sailing, reading, traveling and hanging out with his friends.
PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA (2015, completed in 2.5 years)
Thesis title: Development of ultracompact, high-sensitivity, space-based instrumentation for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy
Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering within the Top Industrial Managers for Europe (TIME) Program
Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace SUPAERO, Toulouse, France (November 2010)
Thesis title: Optical Properties of Astronomical Silicates with Infrared Techniques
Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering within the High Polytechnic School (ASP) Program
Polytechnic Institute of Turin, Italy (November 2010)
Thesis as above
Master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering
Polytechnic Institute of Milan, Italy (October 2010)
Thesis as above
Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering
Polytechnic Institute of Milan, Italy (July 2007)
Thesis title: Experimental research on innovative solid fuels for hybrid propellers
Young Scientist Award (Italian Cultural Society of Washington, DC), 2019
AIAA Senior Member, 2019
NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal, 2017
NASA Group Achievement Award (JWST Core 2 Test Team), 2017
First "Ex-alunno" Prize ("A. Chionna" Middle and Elementary School, Lizzano, Italy), 2015
AIAA Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award, 2014
MIT Arthur Gelb Fellowship, 2012-2013
Honorary Plaque (Mayor of Lizzano, Italy), 2012
Mayoux-Dauriac Prize (ISAE-SUPAERO, France), 2010
Pegasus Award (ISAE-SUPAERO and Polytechnic Institute of Milan), 2010
ESA Research Grant, 2010
NASA John Mather Nobel Scholar Award, 2009
NASA Academy Award (NASA/ESA), 2009
Top Industrial Managers for Europe Award (TIME), 2008
High Polytechnic School Award, 2008
Numerous travel grants (SPIE, IEEE, MIT, NASA)
Systems engineering
Multidisciplinary design optimization
Multifidelity uncertainty quantification
Infrared astronomy
High-precision infrared instrumentation for space, balloon and ground telescopes
Dielectric properties of materials of astrophysical and engineering interest
Origin and evolution of dust in the early universe
Languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German.
Referee service for journals (Applied Optics, Optics Express, Optics Letters, Applied Physics B, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, Optical Engineering, Systems Engineering) and conferences (AIAA, AAS - session chair, ISSNAF).
Reviewer: NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) and NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) applications.
Wollack, E., G. Cataldo, K. Miller, and M. Quijada. 2020. "Infrared properties of high-purity silicon." Optics Letters, 45 (17): 4935-4938 [10.1364/OL.393847]
Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, E. J. Wollack, S. H. Moseley, and E. R. Switzer. 2019. "Second-generation Micro-Spec: A compact spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter space missions." Acta Astronautica, 162: 155-159 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.012]
Bulcha, B. T., G. Cataldo, T. R. Stevenson, et al. K. U-Yen, S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2018. "Electromagnetic Design of a Magnetically Coupled Spatial Power Combiner." Journal of Low Temperature Physics, [10.1007/s10909-018-1923-2]
Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, K. U-Yen, E. J. Wollack, and S. H. Moseley. 2018. "Second-generation design of Micro-Spec: a medium-resolution, submillimeter-wavelength spectrometer-on-a-chip." Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 1-8 [10.1007/s10909-018-1902-7]
Cataldo, G., M. B. Niedner, D. J. Fixsen, and S. H. Moseley. 2017. "Model-based thermal system design optimization for the James Webb Space Telescope." Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, 3 (4): 044202 [10.1117/1.JATIS.3.4.044002]
Cataldo, G., and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Submillimeter and far-infrared dielectric properties of thin films." Proc. SPIE 9914, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII, 99142W [10.1117/12.2232648]
Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, A. D. Brown, et al. S. H. Moseley, K. U-Yen, and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Fabrication and characterization of superconducting resonators." Journal of Visualized Experiments, 111: [10.3791/53868]
Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, A. D. Brown, and K. H. Miller. 2016. "Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon oxide." Optics Letters, 41 (7): 1364-1367 [10.1364/OL.41.001364]
Cataldo, G., S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2015. "A four-pole power-combiner design for far-infrared and submillimeter spectroscopy." Acta Astronautica, 114 (C): 54-59 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.04.002]
Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, E. Barrentine, et al. A. D. Brown, S. H. Moseley, and K. U-Yen. 2015. "Analysis and calibration techniques for superconducting resonators." Review of Scientific Instruments, 86 (1): 013103 [10.1063/1.4904972]
Cataldo, G., M. Chodas, P. Dave, et al. A. Dixit, S. Hall, R. Harris, D. Hayhurst, F. Mier-Hicks, C. Jewison, J.-D. Ioana, B. Karlow, B. McCarthy, A. Owens, E. Peters, M. Shaw, D. Sternberg, K. Voelbel, and M. Wu. 2014. "Tradespace Investigation of a Telescope Architecture for Next-generation Space Astronomy and Exploration." MIT Technical Reports, SSL (13-14): [http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92407]
Cataldo, G., W.-T. Hsieh, W.-C. Huang, et al. S. H. Moseley, T. R. Stevenson, and E. J. Wollack. 2014. "Micro-Spec: an ultracompact, high-sensitivity spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy." Applied Optics, 53 (6): 1094-1102 [10.1364/AO.53.001094]
Richey, C. R., R. E. Kinzer, G. Cataldo, et al. E. J. Wollack, J. A. Nuth, D. J. Benford, R. F. Silverberg, and S. A. Rinehart. 2013. "Optical Properties of Iron Silicates in the Infrared to Millimeter as a Function of Wavelength and Temperature." The Astrophysical Journal, 770 (46): 1-12 [10.1088/0004-637X/770/1/46]
Cataldo, G., J. A. Beall, H.-M. Cho, et al. B. McAndrew, M. D. Niemack, and E. J. Wollack. 2012. ""Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon nitride" ." Optics Letters , 37 (20): 4200-4202 [10.1364/OL.37.004200]
Rinehart, S. A., D. J. Benford, G. Cataldo, et al. E. Dwek, R. Henry, R. E. Kinzer, J. A. Nuth, R. F. Silverberg, C. Wheeler, and E. J. Wollack. 2011. ""Measuring the Optical Properties of Astrophysical Dust Analogues: Instrumentation and Methods" ." Applied Optics, 50 (21): 4115-4123 [10.1364/AO.50.004115]
Cataldo, G., P. A. Ade, C. J. Anderson, et al. A. Barlis, E. M. Barrentine, N. G. Bellis, A. D. Bolatto, P. C. Breysse, B. T. Bulcha, J. A. Connors, P. W. Cursey, N. Ehsan, T. M. Essinger-Hileman, J. Glenn, J. Golec, J. Hays-Wehle, L. A. Hess, A. Jahromi, M. O. Kimball, A. J. Kogut, L. N. Lowe, P. D. Mauskopf, J. J. McMahon, M. Mirzaei, S. H. Moseley, J. W. Mugge-Durum, O. Noroozian, T. M. Oxholm, U.-L. Pen, A. R. Pullen, S. Rodriguez, P. J. Shirron, G. Siebert, A. K. Sinclair, R. S. Somerville, R. Stephenson, T. R. Stevenson, E. R. Switzer, P. T. Timbie, C. E. Tucker, E. Visbal, C. G. Volpert, E. J. Wollack, and S. Yang. 2020. "Overview and status of EXCLAIM, the experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping." Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII [10.1117/12.2561069]
Cataldo, G., A. Aragona, A. Gren, R. Maffei, and A. Paraboschi. 2009. ""Space Hotel Design - Design for an orbiting space hotel"." Alta Scuola Politecnica Report
Carrasco-Martos, S., G. Cataldo, L. Cully, et al. H. Fingerhut, T. Garrett, H. Hui, F. Keels, E. Lee, V. Martin, K. McCoy, Z. Merceruio, M. Neveu, M. Piltz, E. Reiff, L. Sandberg, S. Shkolyar, E. Timmons, and A. Willingham. 2009. ""The Odysseus Project: NASA's Vision for Reaching the Stars"." NASA GSFC Report
Giuseppe Cataldo is the lead engineer of several NASA missions. His expertise is in the design and optimization of space systems for astronomy and astrophysics, gained through 10+ years at NASA and earning his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here, he worked in both the Man-Vehicle Lab, headed by former NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, and the Space Systems Lab, headed by former NASA Chief Technologist David Miller, under the direction of former NASA astronaut Prof. Jeff Hoffman.
Giuseppe has contributed to a variety of NASA missions and projects such as:
He first joined NASA in 2009 fully sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the two European students selected for the NASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership program for talented students. During the program, he was one of the select recipients of the John Mather Nobel Scholar Award.
Giuseppe is fond of space policy and pursues outreach presentations for young students, professionals and the general public around the world. He speaks six languages, is part of the NASA GSFC Speakers Bureau, and contributes to public outreach and educational activities for the Embassy of Italy to the United States of America in Washington, DC.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing the violin and the piano, swimming, hiking, skiing, sailing, reading, traveling and hanging out with his friends.
Wollack, E., G. Cataldo, K. Miller, and M. Quijada. 2020. "Infrared properties of high-purity silicon." Optics Letters 45 (17): 4935-4938 [10.1364/OL.393847]
Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, E. J. Wollack, S. H. Moseley, and E. R. Switzer. 2019. "Second-generation Micro-Spec: A compact spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter space missions." Acta Astronautica 162 155-159 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.012]
Bulcha, B. T., G. Cataldo, T. R. Stevenson, et al. K. U-Yen, S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2018. "Electromagnetic Design of a Magnetically Coupled Spatial Power Combiner." Journal of Low Temperature Physics [10.1007/s10909-018-1923-2]
Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, K. U-Yen, E. J. Wollack, and S. H. Moseley. 2018. "Second-generation design of Micro-Spec: a medium-resolution, submillimeter-wavelength spectrometer-on-a-chip." Journal of Low Temperature Physics 1-8 [10.1007/s10909-018-1902-7]
Cataldo, G., M. B. Niedner, D. J. Fixsen, and S. H. Moseley. 2017. "Model-based thermal system design optimization for the James Webb Space Telescope." Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 3 (4): 044202 [10.1117/1.JATIS.3.4.044002]
Cataldo, G., and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Submillimeter and far-infrared dielectric properties of thin films." Proc. SPIE 9914, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII 99142W [10.1117/12.2232648]
Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, A. D. Brown, et al. S. H. Moseley, K. U-Yen, and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Fabrication and characterization of superconducting resonators." Journal of Visualized Experiments 111 [10.3791/53868]
Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, A. D. Brown, and K. H. Miller. 2016. "Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon oxide." Optics Letters 41 (7): 1364-1367 [10.1364/OL.41.001364]
Cataldo, G., S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2015. "A four-pole power-combiner design for far-infrared and submillimeter spectroscopy." Acta Astronautica 114 (C): 54-59 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.04.002]
Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, E. Barrentine, et al. A. D. Brown, S. H. Moseley, and K. U-Yen. 2015. "Analysis and calibration techniques for superconducting resonators." Review of Scientific Instruments 86 (1): 013103 [10.1063/1.4904972]
Cataldo, G., M. Chodas, P. Dave, et al. A. Dixit, S. Hall, R. Harris, D. Hayhurst, F. Mier-Hicks, C. Jewison, J.-D. Ioana, B. Karlow, B. McCarthy, A. Owens, E. Peters, M. Shaw, D. Sternberg, K. Voelbel, and M. Wu. 2014. "Tradespace Investigation of a Telescope Architecture for Next-generation Space Astronomy and Exploration." MIT Technical Reports SSL (13-14): [http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92407]
Cataldo, G., W.-T. Hsieh, W.-C. Huang, et al. S. H. Moseley, T. R. Stevenson, and E. J. Wollack. 2014. "Micro-Spec: an ultracompact, high-sensitivity spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy." Applied Optics 53 (6): 1094-1102 [10.1364/AO.53.001094]
Richey, C. R., R. E. Kinzer, G. Cataldo, et al. E. J. Wollack, J. A. Nuth, D. J. Benford, R. F. Silverberg, and S. A. Rinehart. 2013. "Optical Properties of Iron Silicates in the Infrared to Millimeter as a Function of Wavelength and Temperature." The Astrophysical Journal 770 (46): 1-12 [10.1088/0004-637X/770/1/46]
Cataldo, G., J. A. Beall, H.-M. Cho, et al. B. McAndrew, M. D. Niemack, and E. J. Wollack. 2012. ""Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon nitride" ." Optics Letters 37 (20): 4200-4202 [10.1364/OL.37.004200]
Rinehart, S. A., D. J. Benford, G. Cataldo, et al. E. Dwek, R. Henry, R. E. Kinzer, J. A. Nuth, R. F. Silverberg, C. Wheeler, and E. J. Wollack. 2011. ""Measuring the Optical Properties of Astrophysical Dust Analogues: Instrumentation and Methods" ." Applied Optics 50 (21): 4115-4123 [10.1364/AO.50.004115]
Cataldo, G., P. A. Ade, C. J. Anderson, et al. A. Barlis, E. M. Barrentine, N. G. Bellis, A. D. Bolatto, P. C. Breysse, B. T. Bulcha, J. A. Connors, P. W. Cursey, N. Ehsan, T. M. Essinger-Hileman, J. Glenn, J. Golec, J. Hays-Wehle, L. A. Hess, A. Jahromi, M. O. Kimball, A. J. Kogut, L. N. Lowe, P. D. Mauskopf, J. J. McMahon, M. Mirzaei, S. H. Moseley, J. W. Mugge-Durum, O. Noroozian, T. M. Oxholm, U.-L. Pen, A. R. Pullen, S. Rodriguez, P. J. Shirron, G. Siebert, A. K. Sinclair, R. S. Somerville, R. Stephenson, T. R. Stevenson, E. R. Switzer, P. T. Timbie, C. E. Tucker, E. Visbal, C. G. Volpert, E. J. Wollack, and S. Yang. 2020. "Overview and status of EXCLAIM, the experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping." Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII [10.1117/12.2561069]
Cataldo, G., A. Aragona, A. Gren, R. Maffei, and A. Paraboschi. 2009. ""Space Hotel Design - Design for an orbiting space hotel"." Alta Scuola Politecnica Report
Carrasco-Martos, S., G. Cataldo, L. Cully, et al. H. Fingerhut, T. Garrett, H. Hui, F. Keels, E. Lee, V. Martin, K. McCoy, Z. Merceruio, M. Neveu, M. Piltz, E. Reiff, L. Sandberg, S. Shkolyar, E. Timmons, and A. Willingham. 2009. ""The Odysseus Project: NASA's Vision for Reaching the Stars"." NASA GSFC Report