Ersilia Vaudo is an astrophysicist and senior executive at the European Space Agency (ESA), and one of Europe’s most influential voices at the intersection of space science, international diplomacy, cultural innovation, and societal transformation. With over thirty years of experience at ESA, she has combined scientific expertise, strategic leadership, and a strong cultural vision to position space exploration as a powerful driver of global cooperation and collective progress.

She holds a degree in Astrophysics and an Executive Certificate from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her academic and professional path reflects a rare ability to integrate scientific rigor with institutional governance and public policy, enabling her to operate fluently between complex technical domains and global decision-making environments.

Within ESA, Vaudo has held senior roles in International Relations, Strategy, and Human Spaceflight. From 2002 to 2006, she served as Deputy Head of the ESA Office in Washington, D.C., where she managed relations with NASA and key U.S. stakeholders, strengthening transatlantic collaboration in space exploration and policy. She currently serves as ESA Special Advisor on Future Talents, contributing to strategic reflection on skills development, leadership, and human capital in the evolving space sector.

Vaudo has consistently advocated for a broader vision of space, not only as a technological frontier but also as a cultural, educational, and diplomatic space. She was Vice President of Eurisy, an association connecting European space agencies with society to promote the use of space applications for public benefit. In 2021, she co-chaired the Talents and Diversity chapter of the Scale-Up Europe initiative launched by President Emmanuel Macron, focused on strengthening Europe’s innovation and tech ecosystem.

Deeply committed to education and inclusion, she is President and co-founder of “Il Cielo Itinerante,” an initiative that brings telescopes, scientific experiments, and astronomical observation to children in underserved communities, with the aim of making science accessible to all. She is also Deputy Director of the LUISS Master in Space Law and Geopolitics, contributing to the training of future leaders in space governance and policy.

Her creative and intellectual work extends beyond institutional roles. She co-designed the “Lune d’Acqua” lamp for Artemide and the installation “A Satellite Symphony,” presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. She is the author of Mirabilis (Einaudi, 2023) and The Story of Astrophysics in Five Revolutions (2025), where she explores the evolution of scientific thought and cosmic discovery.

Ersilia Vaudo has received numerous international honors, including the title of Commander of the Order of the “Stella d’Italia” by the President of the Italian Republic. Her recognitions include the Premio Enrico Persico (Accademia dei Lincei), Tecnovisionarie Europa Award, InspiringFifty, Fortune Italia’s “50 Most Powerful Women,” the EWMD Award “She Made a Difference,” the Fondazione Carla Fendi Award, and Forbes100 Italy.

Her vision redefines space exploration as a shared human endeavor grounded in responsibility, imagination, inclusion, and international cooperation, where science becomes a bridge between knowledge, culture, and the future of society.