The visionary behind the European Space Agency

Mar 21, 2025

Andrea Amaldi, grandson of the legendary scientist Edoardo Amaldi, shares a touching story about sending his grandfather's letter to space aboard the Edoardo Amaldi Automated Transfer Vehicle. He discusses Edoardo’s visionary role in establishing the European Space Agency, aimed at uniting Europe's brightest scientific minds. The conversation delves into the emotional weight of sending a personal message to the stars and highlights a family's historical legacy intertwined with the evolution of space exploration in Europe.

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ANECDOTE

Last-Minute Tribute

Andrea Amaldi was contacted last minute to send a tribute to his grandfather, Eduardo, into space.
He chose a letter Eduardo wrote in 1958, outlining his vision for a European space organization.

ANECDOTE

The Visionary Letter

Eduardo Amaldi's visionary letter was inspired by a 1958 conversation at a friend's house.
He discussed establishing a European Space Research Centre with his wife and Luigi Crocco.

INSIGHT

A Scientific Endeavor

Eduardo Amaldi stressed the importance of a purely scientific, non-military space organization.
He envisioned an open, collaborative entity similar to CERN, fostering scientific cooperation.

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In October 2012, the founding father of the European Space Agency was honoured when a spacecraft named after him was sent to the international space station.

Within the probe – called the Edoardo Amaldi Automated Transfer Vehicle – was a letter which had been written by Edoardo in 1958 detailing his plans for an organisation which would bring together the continent’s greatest minds in space science. It was in response to the brain drain Europe was facing in the years prior when its best scientists were flying off to work at NASA.

His grandson, Andrea Amaldi, talks to Natasha Fernandes about the moment his grandfather’s letter was sent into space and the role he played in translating it on behalf of the visionary behind the European Space Agency.

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(Photo: ESA's ATV-3, Edoardo Amaldi, blasts off on March 23, 2012 from the European space centre at Kourou, French Guiana. Credit: JODY AMIET/AFP via Getty Images)