UWL’s London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism (LGCHT) was delighted to host Italian astronaut, test pilot and entrepreneur Maurizio Cheli on Wednesday 2 April. He was accompanied by staff from Lord Byron College, a language school in Bari, Puglia including Academic Manager Professor John Credico, who oversaw the translation of Maurizio’s book ‘Tutto in un istante’ (All in an Instant).
After trying out the University’s 737 flight simulator, which is used to train airline pilots, Maurizio gave a lecture in Weston Hall to more than 250 people including staff, students, young people from local schools and members of the public. He highlighted key moments and experiences from his extraordinary career and offered reflections on both personal and professional growth.
Born in Modena, Italy in 1959, Maurizio graduated from the Italian Air Force Academy then served as a fighter pilot before joining the prestigious Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) in the UK, where he was awarded the MacKenna Trophy as top student. In 1992, he was selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA). In 1996, he became the first Italian Mission Specialist to fly into space aboard the Shuttle Columbia (STS-75).
During his lecture, he shared many awe-inspiring photos and videos from his time in space.
“We were 400 kilometres from the surface of the earth, 3.5 hours by car if you could drive straight up,” he told the attendees. “It is not a huge distance, but it makes an incredible difference in our perspective of the universe.”
“We were flying at eight kilometres per second, around the earth one orbit every 90 minutes. 45 minutes daylight, 45 minutes nighttime, one sunrise then one sunset 16 times in 24 hours. It is a beautiful thing to see. Things move very, very quickly.”
Following his spaceflight, he played a key role in the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, serving as Chief Test Pilot at Alenia Aeronautica. His passion for challenge led him to compete against Michael Schumacher, flying a Eurofighter in a head-to-head race against the Ferrari F2003-GA, where he claimed victory in two rounds.
In 2018, at the age of 59, he achieved another extraordinary feat—reaching the summit of Mount Everest, becoming only the second astronaut in history to have ventured both into space and to the highest point on Earth.
“We need to become aware of our hidden personal resources. I understood this while climbing Mount Everest. I found myself at 7000 metres trying to reach the summit. If somebody had told me it would be 40 hours without sleeping, eating nothing, and drinking even less, I would have laughed at his face. I would have said impossible. This is exactly what happened.”
His lecture was followed by a Q&A session with Prof. John Credico, plus presentations by Director for Economic Development for Puglia Gianna Elisa Berlingerio and Director of Cambridge English Catherine Lloyd.
After the presentations, Maurizio was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from UWL.
“We are proud to celebrate Maurizio Cheli’s contributions to aerospace and science,” said Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter John CBE.
“His extraordinary journey underscores the importance of boldness and innovation in scientific exploration.”
“We were honoured to host Maurizio Cheli,” commented Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of LGCHT James Edmunds. “His pioneering space missions and achievements in aerospace innovation captivated our audience.”
“His reflections on personal and professional growth serve as a beacon for future generations of aviators and business leaders,” he continued. “We look forward to fostering similar groundbreaking endeavours within our aviation community.”
“It was an honour to hear from Maurizio Cheli about his adventurous life!” commented Air Transport Management student Zane Santamaria. “Hearing firsthand about the challenges, triumphs, and sheer wonder of space exploration was incredible and inspiring.”
