Luca Rossettini's mission to clean up space debris
From Talk innovation: unlocking technology by European Patent Office
June 9, 2026 · 38 min · Season 6 · Episode 24
About this episode
Luca Rossettini discusses his mission to reduce space debris through autonomous technology and shares his journey in the aerospace industry.
We're surrounded by debris that's invisible to the naked eye. With thousands of inactive satellites orbiting Earth, space is becoming an increasingly critical sustainability frontier. In this edited recording from the Inspiring Inventors live event series, Italian aerospace engineer Luca Rossettini explores how autonomous technology can reduce space debris and protect satellites in orbit. During his conversation with EPO patent examiner Edward Cooke, Luca traces his journey from childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut to time spent in Silicon Valley and NASA, and how that path led him to founding D-Orbit Group, a space logistics company nominated for the European Inventor Award 2023. He breaks down his innovative technology in simple terms and explains its evolution into in-orbit transportation and future space servicing. Along the way, he explores themes related to engineering, entrepreneurship, sustainability and intellectual property. Host : Edward Cooke, EPO patent examiner Guest : Luca Rossettini, founder and CEO of D-Orbit Group. Finalist for the European Inventor Award 2023. More information : Luca Rossettini’s profile on epo.org
People in this episode
Host: Edward Cooke
Guest: Luca Rossettini
Topics covered
- space debris
- autonomous technology
- sustainability
- engineering
- entrepreneurship
- intellectual property
Keywords
- space debris
- autonomous technology
- sustainability
- D-Orbit Group
- European Inventor Award
- engineering
- entrepreneurship
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: D-Orbit Group, European Patent Office
Places: Silicon Valley, Earth
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