Direttore, SEE Lab, SDA Bocconi

Simonetta Di Pippo, astrophysicist, is Director of the SEE Lab and Professor of Space Economy at SDA Bocconi, as well as Visiting Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi. She previously served as Director of UNOOSA, Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA, and Director of the Observation of the Universe at ASI.

She is the author of Space Economy – The Competitive Arena of the Future and Luna, Laboratory of Peace (EGEA), and Astronauti (Mursia). An Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and former member of the WEF Global Future Council on Space (until 2024), she has been Chair of D-Orbit since July 2024 and a member of the Board of Directors of RINA S.p.A. since May 2023. She also serves on the Scientific Committee of Criptalie for the Grottaglie Spaceport and on the Steering Committee of the Milan Metropolitan Observatory. Founder of Women in Aerospace Europe (2009) and International Gender Champion at the UN (2017), asteroid 21887 bears her name.

She is Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, recipient of the Austrian Grand Decoration of Honour, and of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (2022). She was the first woman to receive the Hubert Curien Award, is listed in the IAF Hall of Fame and in Forbes 50 Over 50 (2024), received the We-STEM Award, and joined the Advisory Board of Blue Origin in 2025.