Professor Massimiliano Vasile
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Personal statement
Professor Vasile key expertise is in computational intelligence applied to the solution of complex problems in aerospace engineering. He pioneered the use of global optimisation techniques for the design and optimisation space trajectories and the use of uncertainty quantification technique in conjunction with optimisation for the design and control of complex engineering systems. He developed innovative methods for optimisation under uncertainty based on evidence theory, called Evidence Based Robust Optimisation, he has worked on non-deterministic planning and goal allocation for robots, fault tolerant distributed navigation systems for spacecraft and nonlinear uncertainty quantification in space flight mechanics, with particular application to space debris and asteroid manipulation. He also developed innovative techniques for multi-objective optimal control and multi-objective optimisation under uncertainty. He is currently leading the Stardust network on asteroids and space debris, the UTOPIAE network on uncertainty treatment and optimisation in aerospace engineering and is part of the management team of the EPSRC ENCORE network on resilience in complex engineering systems.
Prize And Awards
- Recipient
- 29/10/2024
- Recipient
- 13/5/2023
- Recipient
- 1/10/2022
- Recipient
- 27/9/2022
- Recipient
- 1/9/2022
- Recipient
- 2021
Publications
- Ciccarelli Roberto, Introna Margaux, Terracini Susanna,
- Journal of Aerospace Science, Technologies & Systems Vol 105, pp. 153-170 (2026)
- ,
- Expert Systems Vol 43 (2026)
- Stebbings Daniel, , ,
- 2025 European Data Handling & Data Processing Conference (EDHPC) European Data Handling and Data Processing Conference 2025 (2026)
- Cano Juan L, Khan Michael, Colombo Camilla, , Moissl Richard, Koschny Detlef
- Acta Astronautica Vol 242, pp. 158-165 (2026)
- , , , Savitski Vasili, , , , , ,
- IAF Astrodynamics Symposium 76th International Astronautical Congress, pp. 194-208 (2026)
- , Wilson Andrew Ross,
- IAF Space Systems Symposium 76th International Astronautical Congress, pp. 94-104 (2026)
Professional Activities
- Member of programme committee
- 30/10/2024
- Member of programme committee
- 2024
- Organiser
- 8/11/2023
- Organiser
- 7/11/2023
- Organiser
- 20/12/2022
- Organiser
- 14/12/2022
Projects
- Vasile, Massimiliano (Principal Investigator)
- 30-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
- Schippers, Birgit (Principal Investigator) Riccardi, Annalisa (Principal Investigator) O'Donnell, Therese (Principal Investigator) Vasile, Massimiliano (Principal Investigator)
- Reliable and verifiable sources that can document human rights abuses or violations of international humanitarian law are crucial in legal contexts. Spatial open-source intelligence (S-OSINT), which is information that is gathered from publicly available digital data such as satellite or remote sensing data, has become an increasingly significant resource in human rights lawyering, from investigations and fact-finding missions through to courtroom evidence at trial. S-OSINT can bypass challenges in evidence gathering, especially where access to witnesses or sites is difficult.
Despite its considerable value, the use of S-OSINT raises concerns about its impact on data privacy and security, and about the validity and reliability of open-source information. Specifically, worries about the effects of misinformation鈥攖he inadvertent sharing of inaccurate content鈥攁nd disinformation鈥攖he intentional sharing of inaccurate content with the aim of causing harm鈥攃an raise doubts about the trustworthiness of S-OSINT.
This project asks what best practice in the use of S-OSINT in legal contexts should look like, and it will create frameworks to prevent misinformation and disinformation from undermining the value of S-OSINT.
By investigating the legal, ethical and engineering challenges of S-OSINT, the project will establish rigorous standards that will inform a best practice framework for engineers, legal professionals, researchers, and other S-OSINT users. Its interdisciplinary approach supports the project鈥檚 ambition to advance the development of human-centred, ethical and lawful uses of digital and industrial technologies. With this focus, the project will also enhance the Global Challenges theme 鈥楧igital, Industry and Space鈥�.
To deliver on its ambition, the project will (1) develop a 吃瓜tv-led interdisciplinary research programme that will create a best practice framework for the use of S-OSINT; (2) foster interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborations with external partners, including international governmental and non-governmental organisations, legal professionals, and SMEs; and (3) prepare two external funding applications.
Funded by the 吃瓜tv's Institutional Funding for Research Culture Award, Cultures of Collaborative Research (Wellcome Trust). For further information please visit the Collaborative Research Cultures Web Page (/research/researchenvironment/collaborativeresearchcultures/). - 30-Jan-2025 - 28-Jan-2026
- Vasile, Massimiliano (Principal Investigator) Ilioudis, Christos (Co-investigator) Zabalza, Jaime (Co-investigator)
- 20-Jan-2024 - 19-Jan-2026
- Vasile, Massimiliano (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 14-Jan-2025
- Feng, Jinglang (Principal Investigator) Vasile, Massimiliano (Co-investigator) Wu, Yue (Co-investigator) Zabalza, Jaime (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jan-2027
- Fossati, Marco (Principal Investigator) Bi, Sifeng (Co-investigator) Vasile, Massimiliano (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2027
Contact
Professor
Massimiliano
Vasile
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Email: massimiliano.vasile@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2326