Elias Chatzitheodoridis, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Stellar Discoveries P.C., Greece. co-Chief of Science & Technology Innovations & Operations. Professor at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece
Geologist with specialisation in the study of natural Terrestrial and Space materials, Planetology, Isotope Geology, Geochemistry and Astrochemistry, Astrobiology. He studied Geology at the National Kapodistrian Univ. of Athens, Greece, and he acquired his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the university of Manchester, England, UK. He has a strong technological background on state-of-the-art technologies, such as on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), photonic structures and devices, micro and nano-lithography, and the development and automation of micro-sensors and instrumentation for the structural and chemical characterisation of natural and technological materials. This experience was acquired working at the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH, Crete, Greece), at the Technical University of Vienna, Austria, and at the international private industry Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG (AT&S AG, Austria). He spent his sabbatical working at the European Space Agency (ESA, TEC/MSE; Noordwijk, The Netherlands), where he developed technologies for the synthesis of ultra-high-fidelity simulated Lunar dust and Lunar surface environments, as well as of soils of other planets; the aim is to provide services on testing the durability of instruments and of technological materials in the space environment, the evaluation of biotoxicity of the dust and space environment (oxidative stress), the calibration of instruments and sensors, and the feasibility of using the planetary dusts for extracting oxygen gas, water and other mineral resources (“Oxygen farming” and ISRU). He studied the effects of microgravity on microorganisms by sending them to the International Space Station (ISS). His research is supported by ESA projects. For many years he was evaluator and reviewer in European Commission projects on microtechnologies, nanotechnologies, and space research and applications. He is member of the editorial of the journals Astrobiology and Springer Nature Advances.