Luciano Iess, Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome, was awarded the prestigious NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal. As stated in the award citation, Iess was recognised as one of the fathers of Jupiter exploration, having made a fundamental scientific contribution that made it possible to study the planet's internal structure. He was preceded by two illustrious Italians, Riccardo Giacconi (1980) and Mario Molina (1989), both of whom went on to win the Nobel Prize.

"This is an international recognition of the great value that NASA, the most authoritative space agency in the world, gives to scientific personalities", says Rector Antonella Polimeni, "and one that fills the entire Sapienza community with great pride". DIMA, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, together with the Sapienza-CRAS Aerospace Research Centre, also share this success. Sapienza's intense activity in this field is also confirmed by the latest Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities, which places our University in 15th place in the world in the aerospace sector.