NEWS
Astropreneurs interview T4i
Shafa Aria from Astropreneurs a few weeks ago interviewed T4i’s Business Development Manager Elena Toson. Here it is the link at this very nice interview!
NEWS
Oct 19, 2018
Shafa Aria from Astropreneurs a few weeks ago interviewed T4i’s Business Development Manager Elena Toson. Here it is the link at this very nice interview!
I hold a Bachelor and a Master degrees in Aerospace Engineer and a Ph.D. in Technology and Measurements for Space. I specialized in Astrodynamics working in the fields of space debris and space tethers. I had been involved in several international projects and I spent some time as visiting researcher at the Technical University of Madrid and the MIT. Since May 2018 I have been working on fluidic systems of plasma motors at T4i, taking care of the design, the production, and the laboratory testing.
I am interested into devising and building original objects since when I was a child and thanks to my father that is an expert in metal-working, I realized the most varied objects. I am an amateur theatre actor and I like to play basketball. I love travelling, history books and drinking a good beer with friends.
I achieved a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Padova University in 2017.
Over the course of my university career I have developed a particular interest in structural design of space systems. After my graduation, I immediately started a research fellowship at the University of Padova where I took care of the design and feasibility study of a series of components for industrial automation using polymer matrix composites to be substituted for metallic materials.
I work as Junior Project Engineer at T4i where I am part of a team dealing with the design and development of a plasma propulsion system. I’m developing the thermo-mechanical design of the thruster. I also deal with the definition of mechanical and thermal tests to which the system will be submitted. Furthermore I follow the aspects related to company and laboratory safety.
Out of work, I like reading, above all crime and adventure books, and travelling. I am also passionate about cooking of which I have also attended an amateur course in a professional cooking school.
I achieved a Mechanics Diploma in 2017. My duties in T4i consist in coordinating hybrid motors’ tests and the realization of 3D drawings of the needed components for the testing activities. Furthermore, I follow the printing process of the projected parts.
In 2016 I took an internship at INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics) where I realized components using both manual and CNC machineries for the various INFN researches departments. I like videogaming and watching films, but also spending time outdoor and hiking.
I graduated in Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Padua in 2015. After the conclusion of my universities studies, I attended several training courses and developed an interest into the Social Media Marketing field. After some working experiences, I arrived in T4i where I take care of Web Marketing and Communication activities: I manage the social media channels and the editorial plan, I give support to Marketing activities and I search for new digital and traditional channels to give visibility to the company. I love space since I was a child, I play table-tennis and in my spare time I like reading and playing basketball.
I gained a MsC in Aerospace Engineering in September 2018. Starting from 2017, during my studies at the University of Padua, I began to collaborate with T4i’s researchers in the field of plasma sources, studying a plasma flow on a probe. Afterwards I took an internship and I prepared the thesis at T4i, concentrating on the design of a fluidic line of an iodine powered plasma thruster. After obtaining the Master’s degree, I have started working at T4i, continuing the research carried out during the thesis for the realization of the REGULUS project.
I am passionate about space, astronomy and meteorology. Having grown up near Lake Garda, during my spare time I love to visit places surrounded by nature. I am a curious, reserved and reflective person.
I have a diploma as business management technician and expert in marketing and sales networks. In T4i I am the administrative manager and mainly I deal with the management of personnel, organization of corporate travels, reporting of expenses and management of relationships with suppliers. Mom of three children, I like cooking, gardening and reading books on pedagogy.
I’m a research and development Engineer for Hybrid Propulsion. Since 2014 I have been working on hybrid rocket motors and now I take care of the design development and testing activities. Thanks to T4i I had the chance to design, test and optimize hybrid rocket motors with a thrust class up to 10 kN. From 2015, during my PhD course in Space Sciences, Technologies and Measurements I have been collaborating with T4i and at the end of the PhD course I became part of the team. On my spare time I enjoy hiking, cyclotouring and homebrewing.
I’m a Senior Propulsion Engineer and CTO at T4i. I hold an MSc in Aerospace Engineering in 2008 and a PhD in Science Technologies and Measurements for Space in 2011, both from University of Padua, Italy. I’ve worked on Propulsion Systems since 2009, mainly on Hybrid Rockets design and testing, working on different propellant combinations and motor class (1kN, 10 kN, 25 kN). Now I’m the Technical Manager of T4i and PM on Plasma Motors projects. My main achievements are the design and construction of a race car (Formula SAE competition), the design and launch of a hybrid booster for UAV take-off, and the design and micro-g testing of a PMD on a sounding rocket (SPONGE REXUS experiment, launch on 2011). I’ve also deep experience on autonomous mobile robots. I’ve a deep experience in the field-testing of rockets, helping in the design of the actual test facility of University of Padova, modelling the internal combustion behaviour and analysing data from experimental campaign to achieve better performance of our motors. Since 2017 I work also as a program manager for plasma thrusters project, where the aim is a working cubesat to be placed in orbit. I am author and co-author of many articles published in international peer-reviewed journals, and proceedings of national and international conferences. I grew up working in teams, where the focus was to achieve a solid result maintaining the given constrain. Dealing with people is my daily routine, getting the things done is my purpose, making people willing to work with me and my projects is my method. My main interest outside work are tech stuff and outdoor adventures like kayaking, hiking, sailing, traveling… I like to read sci-fi book… Yes, I’m a bit of a nerd.
I am one of the founder and shareholder of T4i. I hold a MSc in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Space Science and Technology, both from University of Padua. I was a Graduate Research Visitor at University of Wisconsin – Madison (USA). I worked as Post-doc at UPD- CISAS in the role of responsible for the development of advanced codes and experimental set-up for the study of plasma propulsion system based on helicon source in the EU FP7 project HPH.com.
My main research fields are related to plasma physics, space propulsion and mathematical modeling of plasma in High Performance Computing. I am one of the developer of F3MPIC (particle in cell) and of several other codes for plasma physics and propulsion developed at University of Padua. I am also involved in the diagnostic analysis on ground experiment of different plasma thruster. I also taught as lecture assistant in courses of Space propulsion both for the course of Aerospace Engineering at university of Padua and for the PhD School in Sciences, Technologies and Measurements for Space (STMS). I am now the manager of the plasma segment of T4i and the System Engineer for the Plasma Propulsion unit we are developing. I like to read, especially history essay: I love to explore the history of each place I visit. I am profoundly interested in popularization of science (I followed a specific course at CERN for physics educator). During my spare time, I love sailing in the beautiful sea near Venice.
I’m a Senior R&D Engineer focused on hybrid propulsion analysis, development and testing. Completed the MSc in Aerospace Engineering (2010), I have pursued my passion in evolutionary algorithms, CFD and turbomachinery by attending the PhD studies in Industrial Engineering, Energy branch, at the University of Padua (2011-2015). During my stay, I have actively participated in various European projects. In CLEAN SKY GREEN ROTORCRAFT project (2011-2012), I was responsible for the development of the CFD model of the innovative tiltrotor ERICA, and the preliminary fluid-dynamic optimization of the fuselage. The research, carried out hand-in-hand with Agusta-Westland, was a complete success in terms of global drag reduction, as demonstrated by wind tunnel tests, proving the soundness of the optimization methodology. Furthermore, I’ve been working on the aerodynamic optimization of turbine airfoils and blades, within the ITURB European project (2013). Since then, many attempts have been made to advance the optimization methodology with innovative ideas connected to the artificial intelligence field. At the end, it has been a pleasure to obtain an extraordinary feedback by testing the algorithm on one of the toughest problem in turbomachinery: optimization of transonic compressors, both 2d airfoils and 3d blades. In 2015, I had this fantastic opportunity to join the Aerospace Propulsion Laboratory of the University of Padua and collaborate within the HYPROGEO European project to perform advanced CFD analysis of a novel hybrid rocket engine. Beyond numerical activities, I also started my duty on developing and testing hybrid rocket motors to demonstrate the feasibility of a mini launcher system. Very hard work, harsh environment, tough time, strict deadlines, changeling objectives, and a lovely team. Extraordinary one! Being part of a small team (5 people), means you have big responsibility from the beginning. We have achieved outstanding results. In 2017, I have joined T4i as Senior R&D Engineer to follow a mini launcher project. In three years (2015-2018), I have matured as engineer, learned how to design, develop, carry out a test campaign for a hybrid motor, and lot of other cool stuff. Passion for what I do, and a bit of creativity, makes the impossible, possible. Does it sound crazy? Just come to our test facility and my team and I will show you the roar of our 10 kN motor! Passion is not just for rockets, but also for outdoor sports. At the moment, sea kayak is at the top of my list.
I took a PhD in Science, Technology and Measurements for Space in March 2015 and an MsC in Aerospace Engineering in March 2010 both at the University of Padua. Since 2010 I’ve been working on the development and testing of innovative plasma sources, in the frame of several EU and Italian research programs. I mostly worked within the Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS) of the University of Padua, but I’ve also cooperated with other Italian enterprises. Since 2017 I’m part of T4i’s plasma propulsion team. My main focus is related to plasma thrusters, which I’ve worked within the EU projects HPH.COM and ESA AO7048 “Helicon Plasma Thruster for Space Missions” and the Italian project SAPERE-STRONG.
In addition to this I also developed plasma sources for industrial applications, such as optical lens surface treatment, in cooperation with Italian enterprises. These activities involved international research teams and have allowed me to develop several key abilities, both technical (related to the development, manufacturing and testing of innovative systems) and personal (team working, problem solving, project management).
Personally I’m a reflective person, preferring a calm and rational approach to situations. love handcraft work, particularly hobby modelling, but I also like history, science fiction and painting.
I studied at the University of Padua. There, I received a Ph.D. in Space Science, Technologies and Measurement (STMS), course of Astronautic and Satellite Science (ASS) from CISAS “G. Colombo”. I’ve 8 years of experience in the R&D of hybrid propulsion systems. I’ve a strong background in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics and physical modeling. During my post-doc I was technical manager for University of Padua in a Horizon 2020 European program. Moreover, I was technical manager in a contract for a major aerospace company. Now I’m following the continuation of the project in T4i. I’m co-author of more than 35 publications on conferences and journals, mainly on hybrid rocket propulsion and I’ve been co-supervisor of more than a dozen students. I was part of the SPONGE team that developed and tested a Propellant Management Device on a sounding rocket suborbital flight during the participation to the REXUS 9 ESA/SSC/DLR program (2009-2011). I believe in the possibility of a revolution in space and I’m following the NewSpace industry since the start of my career. I like to develop innovative solutions to be applied on real applications. I like playing sports, particularly running and swimming. I’m passionate about aircrafts since I was child and about space history since I started my Ph.D.
After taking my University Master Degree in Aerospace Engineering, specializing myself in Propulsion Systems, I had the chance to work in two established companies in the field: Thales Alenia Space and Avio Aero. It was during these years that I realized that I wanted to focus my efforts in projects with a strong and tangible social impact. With this in mind, as the Space Community was giving more and more attention to safety, environmental impact and costs issues, I started a PhD focusing my research on hybrid rocket propulsion, well known inside the Rocket Propulsion Community for being a promising field of research. While doing the PhD research I got in touch with the sustainable approach of a NGO association – The Natural Step – realizing how the implementation of the sustainability concepts is essential to make innovation, especially in the aerospace field. That’s how I knew D-Orbit, where I managed Alice-2 project, in which I successfully led the design, production, qualification, acceptance and launch phases of the core of D-Orbit disposal device, and D-SAT project. In D-Orbit I also grew my Business Development and Commercial competences in the Space sector and today I’m managing the Business Development and Marketing activities on New Propulsion Systems here in T4i. I enjoy being part of the space community, that’s why I’m a member of the IAF International Space Propulsion Technical Committee and a member of SGAC and Women in Aerospace Europe Association. About me…I’m a curious person always looking for exciting experiences. During these years I had the chance to live in Padua, Turin, Paris, Milan and Istanbul enjoying living in different ways and discovering new sides of myself. That’s how I realized that with people at first sight I seem to be reserved and quiet, but then…. Let’s enjoy our lives!
I’m T4i CEO and Associate professor in Aerospace Propulsion at the Department of Industrial Engineering of Padua University. I hold a PhD in Mechanical Measurement in Engineering Science. I started as co-responsible of the CISAS Hypervelocity Impact Facility from 1997 to 2006. I started and I am responsible for CISAS propulsion activities. I was Adjoin professor in Space Propulsion, Faculty of Engineering, University of Padua (2004-2013) Lecturer on Space Propulsion Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, University of Padua (2005-present). I am also involved in many institutional research activities. I believe that everybody has a great power inside and that all of us is important in the engineering scheme of the world. I believe that we are part of this world to discover our weaknesses, fears, limits, and to overcome all of them, to go beyond to new harder challenges, more and more. In my life I was always trying to do something which I felt so challenging that most of the people considered impossible. I decided to lead T4i because I recognized that only who believes can succeed, and I’m certainly the one.