Loredana Bessone

About

Loredana Bessone is a leading figure in astronaut training and planetary exploration, specializing in subsurface science, analogue research, and the development of tools for future human missions to the Moon and Mars. Her work bridges the gap between terrestrial geology and extraterrestrial exploration, with a focus on lava tubes, caves, and planetary analogues. Bessone’s most cited paper, "Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5)" (25 citations), highlights her role in advancing analogue science and education through work in the Boulby Mine, UK. She also contributed to the "RoboCrane" system (18 citations), a novel concept for providing power and communication links between lunar surfaces and caves, enabling robotic exploration of lava tubes. Her involvement in the PANGAEA mineralogical database (12 citations) supports rapid, high-quality science decision-making for astronauts. Additionally, Bessone leads the ESA CAVES program, training astronauts for space exploration by simulating cave environments. With a career dedicated to preparing humans for extraterrestrial exploration, her contributions are foundational to the future of planetary science and human spaceflight.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5): analogue science, technology and education in the Boulby Mine, UK

   25 citations · 2018
2. 2
   RoboCrane: A system for providing a power and a communication link between lunar surface and lunar caves for exploring robots

   18 citations · 2021
3. 3
   The PANGAEA mineralogical database

   12 citations · 2020
4. 4
   ESA CAVES: TRAINING ASTRONAUTS FOR SPACE EXPLORATION

   5 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links