Meet the authors - STELLAR : A voyage across the Universe

by Patrizia Caraveo (INAF), Paolo Nespoli (ESA), Matthias Maurer (ESA), Paola Catapano (CERN, Moderator)

Friday 18 Jul 2025, 13:30 → 15:00 Europe/Zurich

52/1-052 (CERN)

The event is aimed at the CERN community and CERN Alumni and Retirees, therefore physical attendance will require having a valid CERN access card. 

CERN Alumni should use this form to request CERN access cards.

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Join us for a special Meet the Authors session at the CERN Library, featuring three exceptional voices at the intersection of space science, exploration, and communication:

• Patrizia Caraveo, renowned astrophysicist and author of Space Ecology, Saving the Starry Night and Europe in the Global Space Economy

• Paolo Nespoli, ESA astronaut and author of Interior Space: A Visual Exploration of the International Space Station.

• Matthias Maurer, ESA astronaut and author of Cosmic kiss

Through books that span personal reflections, scientific insight, and powerful imagery, this discussion will dive into the human side of space science: what it teaches us about our planet, our society, and ourselves.

This event is part of the wider STELLAR programme, a celebration of science and imagination taking place at CERN Science Gateway on Saturday 19 July, during the International Cosmic Ray Conference 2025.
👉 Learn more about STELLAR

The event will be followed by a Q&A and signing sessions. The books are available from the CERN Library & Bookshop.

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About the authors: 

Patrizia Caraveo is an Italian astrophysicist internationally recognised for her pioneering research on neutron stars and gamma-ray astronomy. She holds a physics degree from the University of Milan and is currently affiliated with INAF–IASF Milano, where she served as Director (2011–2017). A Professor at the University of Pavia and President of the Italian Astronomical Society (SAIt) since 2025, she has co-led major international space missions such as Swift, AGILE, and Fermi. She has authored over 600 scientific and public-facing publications, received Italy’s highest scientific and civil honours, and is a passionate advocate for science communication and women in STEM.

Paolo Nespoli is a retired European Space Agency astronaut and aerospace engineer with a background in military special forces. He holds degrees in aerospace engineering, aeronautics, and mechanical engineering from institutions in the US and Italy. After serving in international peacekeeping missions and working in space systems engineering, Paolo joined the European Astronaut Corps in 1998. Over his career, he flew on three space missions: Esperia (STS-120, 2007), MagISStra (2010–11), and Vita (2017), spending a total of 313 days in space. He contributed to the assembly and scientific work of the ISS and played a key role in education and outreach initiatives before retiring in 2018.

Matthias Maurer is a European Space Agency astronaut and materials scientist. He holds multiple engineering degrees in materials science from institutions across Germany, France, the UK, and Spain, and a PhD with distinction from the Technical University of Aachen. Before becoming an astronaut, he worked in international research, earned several innovation awards, and contributed to over 10 patent applications. Matthias joined the ESA astronaut corps in 2015 after serving as a crew support engineer and participating in analogue missions such as NEEMO and CAVES. He flew his first space mission, Cosmic Kiss, in 2021–22, spending 177 days aboard the International Space Station, where he conducted dozens of European and international experiments and performed a spacewalk.