Italy is full of talents and brilliant minds, in any field. If you add entrepreneurial initiative to this, that's it. This is the example of Matthias Barbarossa, a 19-year-old Neapolitan physics student, recently hired by Forbes in the list of 100 brightest under 30s in Italy, in the science section. Despite his young age, Mattia is in fact the founder of the start-up Sidereus Space Dynamic, financed by theI2C (Invention to Innovation Center) ofUniversity of Alabama. As reported on the start-up's official website, Sidereus Space Dynamic deals with innovative technologies for the development of space transport. Its main goal is to build solar and electric satellites that can travel in space at low prices.
Mattia Barbarossa: the "little genius" who wanted to touch the moon with a finger
As Mattia Barbarossa himself told in several interviews, the love for science started from a very young age. At the age of 6 years, his father gave him a telescope, with which he enjoyed observing trains, planes, but also the crater of the Vesuvio. 9 years later, little more than a teenager, he would then win the first prize of the international competition Lab2Moon (together with friends Althaea Nemolatus e Dario Pisanti), with the project "Radio Shield”, For the study of the ability of cyanobacteria to screen the radiation on the Moon.
Now, not even twenty, he is working with his start-up to create another great project, which could revolutionize the world. The goal of Sidereus Space Dynamic is in fact to launch its own low cost satellite on the Luna in a 2021.EOS Launch Vehicle, as reported on the official website is a rocket of 3,5 m in length and weight of 70 kg empty (2 tons if stocked). It is powered by hydrogen peroxide e bio-butane, green propellants e carbon neutral. It can start from the sea or from a simple field and thanks to the guided re-entry system, can safely return to the ground at any time. Finally, the vehicle is also totally reusable.
Mattia Barbarossa is the proud CEO of his aerospace start-up, with many dreams still to be realized. The being inserted by the magazine Forbes in the 30 list of Italian under 2021 talents it is only a “small” recognition for those who have a great future ahead of them. Maybe the project EOS Launch Vehicle will be delayed due to the pandemic from Covid-19, but that won't stop Mattia and his team for sure. Thanks to Sidereus Space Dynamic, the dream of traveling "from Naples to the Moon" could soon become reality.