Roberto Vittori graduated from the Italian Air
Force Academy in 1989 with a degree in Aeronautical Science. Completed basic
training with the US Air Force at Reese Air Force Base in Texas, US, in 1990
?Graduated from the US Navy Test Pilot School in 1995. Completed the Italian
Air Forces Accident Prevention course (Guidonia
AFB, Italy) and
Accident Investigation course (Kirtland
AFB, New
Mexico, US) between 1996 and 1997. Graduated from the NATO Defense College
Senior Course 108 in 2006.Completed a masters degree in physics in
December 2007.
Following graduation from pilot training in 1990, Roberto
Vittori flew Tornado GR1 aircraft with the 155
th Squadron,
50
th Wing, Piacenza, Italy from 1991 to 1994. During that time, he
qualified for day and night air-to-air refuelling as well as a formation
leader. In 1995, he completed the US Navy Test Pilot School training. He then
served at the Italian Test Centre as project pilot for the development of the
new European aircraft, the EuroFighter EF2000, until 1998. From 1996 to 1998,
he was the national representative in the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air
Missile research and development programme. In 1997, he attended the US Air
Force Flight Safety School. From 1997 to 1998, Roberto Vittori was wing Flight
Safety Officer at the Italian Test Centre. He was also a teacher of
aerodynamics for the Italian Air Forces Accident Investigation Course.
Roberto Vittori is a colonel in the Italian Air Force. He has logged nearly
2000 hours in over 40 different aircraft, including F-104, Tornado GR1, F-18,
AMX, M-2000, G-222 and P-180.
In July 1998, he was selected as an astronaut
by Italys
ASI space agency in cooperation with
ESA and,
one month later, he joined
ESAs Astronaut Corps, based at the European
Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. In August 1998, Roberto Vittori was
relocated to
NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA, and
entered the 1998 Astronaut class for assignments on the Space Shuttle and
International Space Station. Roberto Vittori completed his Mission Specialist
training and performed technical duties in the Space Shuttle Operations Systems
Branch, Robotics, Future Vehicle and International Space Station Branch. In
August 2001, he took up training as flight engineer at the Gagarin Cosmonaut
Training Centre in Star City, Russia, in preparation for his first spaceflight.
In August 2002, Roberto Vittori returned to Johnson Space Center, where he
supported the New Generation Space Vehicles Branch. Between February 2006 and
August 2008, he was detached to the Italian Air Force under an agreement with
ESA.
During the detachment he served on the Board of
ASIs Technical Scientific Committee.
Roberto
Vittori enjoys soccer, running, swimming and reading.