Andrea Patassa

Andrea Patassa was born in 1991 in Italy.  

Education

Andrea studied Aeronautical Science at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy, and received his bachelor’s degree in 2013, followed by a master’s degree in 2018. As part of his studies, he participated in an international exchange program at the French Air Force Academy in Salon-de-Provence, France, in 2014.  

Andrea participated in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard Air Force Base, in Texas, USA, and received his military pilot’s license from the Italian Air Force in 2017.

In 2022, he attended the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California, USA, where he graduated as an experimental test pilot, earning a master’s degree in Flight Test Engineering.

In 2024, he obtained a master’s degree in Leadership and Strategic Analysis at the University of Florence.

He participated in multiple survival and rescue courses with the Italian Air Force since 2010, which include underwater escape training and survival and rescue in extreme environments. 

Andrea is fluent in Italian and English, with a basic proficiency in French. 

Experience

After receiving his military pilot’s license, Andrea served as a fighter pilot at the 4^th Wing in Grosseto, Italy. He participated in international operations and was promoted to Air Force Captain in 2018. 

In 2021, he was selected to become an experimental test pilot and has since been assigned to the Flight Test Center in Pratica di Mare, Italy. He logged over 1000 flight hours across more than 30 different aircraft. 

Andrea’s favourite sports are tennis, soccer and pole vaulting. His other interests include riding motorbikes, hiking, travelling and reading. 

ESA experience

In November 2022, Andrea was selected as a member of the ESA astronaut reserve. In October 2024, he began the first, of three, two-month astronaut reserve training programmes at ESA's European Astronaut Center (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.