Marco Castronuovo

Papers

Total Citations

144

H-Index

About

Marco Castronuovo is an Italian space systems engineer and researcher whose work has made meaningful contributions to one of the most pressing challenges in modern spaceflight: the growing problem of orbital debris. His research focuses on active space debris removal (ADR), mission analysis, and the development of practical frameworks for cleaning up Earth's increasingly congested orbital environment. Castronuovo's most influential contribution, "Active Space Debris Removal—A Preliminary Mission Analysis and Design" (2011), has garnered 142 citations and stands as a foundational reference in the ADR field, offering one of the early rigorous technical roadmaps for how such missions might be conceived and executed. Complementing this technical vision, his work on economic approaches to debris removal demonstrates a broader systems-thinking perspective, recognizing that sustainable solutions must be not only technically feasible but also commercially and institutionally viable. His research addresses the modular, scalable design of removal systems, acknowledging that effective solutions must adapt to evolving mission requirements and technological capabilities. For students and researchers entering the field of space sustainability, Castronuovo's publications represent essential early scholarship that helped legitimize active debris removal as both a scientific discipline and a practical engineering pursuit.