Martina Benassi

Space Systems Engineering | Space Mission Design | BISS and CUSP missions

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

About

Aerospace Engineering Master's Degree student (Space curriculum), specializing in Space Systems Engineering with hands-on experience in ESA/ASI projects with CubeSats conducted under ECSS standards. Having completed all coursework and exams, I am currently finalizing my Master's thesis internship. I will graduate in July 2026 with a strong academic record and I will be available for full-time positions upon graduation.

Experience

  • Microsatellites and Space Microsystems Laboratory (Forlì, Italy · Hybrid)
    • Student Intern - Internship for Master's Thesis preparation
      Dec 2025 - Present · 7 mos

      Performed technical budgets preparation for a Phase C-D-E mission (BISS), specifically computing the pointing error budget via ESA PEET and MatLab; Prepared two key systems engineering deliverables.

    • Student Intern
      Sep 2025 - Dec 2025 · 4 mos

      Performed mission analysis activities for Italian Space Agency (ASI) CubeSat missions in LEO, in fully compliance with ESA ECSS standards; Performed mission radiation analysis via ESA SPENVIS for a Phase A-B mission (CUSP).

  • ESA Academy CubeSat Concurrent Engineering Workshop 2026 at European Space Agency - ESA
    Feb 2026 - Feb 2026 · 1 mo

    Participated in an intensive concurrent engineering training at ESA’s Training and Learning Facility, within a multidisciplinary and international team; Focused on the Communication and Data Handling domains for a CubeSat in a Venusian mission environment, performing system-level trade-off analysis for the Inter-Satellite Link (ISL); Specifically focused on link budget and data volume (Telemetry and Payload) computation, ensuring subsystem interoperability using COMET;

  • Aerospace Engineering Degree Programme Tutor at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
    Oct 2023 - Nov 2025 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    Academic tutor providing guidance and a tangible reference for student support.

  • ASI - CEF — Preliminary Design of an In-Orbit Servicing Mission at Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
    Oct 2024 - Dec 2024 · 3 mos

    Curricular project at Alma Mater Studiorum in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency – Concurrent Engineering Facility (ASI - CEF); OBDH subsystem’s architecture definition for an In-Orbit Servicing mission with a CubeSat within a multidisciplinary team; Defined the subsystem’s architecture and interfaces with platform, payload and ground segment; Selected hardware components (e.g., LEON3 processor), digital interfaces (CAN, UART, SPI, I2C) and software, with a strong focus on reliability, availability and safety; Contributed to the system-level FDIR concept; Defined the telemetry and payload data volume and performed the on-board memory sizing.

  • Student Intern at Microsatellites and Space Microsystems Laboratory
    Nov 2022 - Mar 2023 · 5 mos

    Evaluated direct-to-Earth communication links for deep space missions and analysed alternative relay-based strategies using data-relay satellites; Used NASA NAIF C-SPICE Toolkit for planetary geometry. Bachelor's Degree thesis title: Telecommunication scenarios for deep space missions using "small" satellites.