Francesco Carassa was born in Naples in 1922. He spent his childhood and his early youth years in Castellazzo Bormida (Alessandria), the native town of his family. In 1946 he graduated in Electrical Engineering at Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy) and then moved to Milan, where he resided until his death in 2006. Since 1962 he had been Professor of Electrical Communications at the Politecnico di Milano and in 1998 he was appointed Emeritus Professor by the Minister of University and Scientific and Technological Research.

He began his professional career in 1947 at the Magneti Marelli Research Laboratories, which he directed from 1956 to 1962, succeeding Professor Francesco Vecchiacchi. His work was responsible for the deployment of the first national network of microwave television radio links and the first radio links with a capacity of 2700 telephone channels, a frontier activity in the 1950’s, and as such recognized at international regulatory level.

His work in the industrial research and development field led to relevant results in the field of microwave propagation, design of equipment and circuits, and the development and implementation of ground stations for the first satellite telecommunication experiments (Telstar and Relay projects). He combined his industrial research and development with an intense teaching activity at the Politecnico di Milano, where new training courses linked to the development of telecommunications, electronics and information technology begin to be developed.

In 1962 he became Full Professor of Electrical Communications and he began a scientific and didactic training activity, which led to the establishment of a qualified group of researchers operating in the sectors of advanced signal transmission and processing systems and, particularly, in the field of satellite telecommunications. He proposed and guided a scientific and technological enterprise of great importance, which led to cutting-edge experiments for satellite communications, with the first Italian satellite Sirio, launched in 1977. With it, the feasibility of satellite communications was tested for the first time at very high frequencies (12-18 GHz). He promoted the establishment of the Research Center on Space Telecommunications of the National Research Council at the Politecnico di Milano, of which he chaired the Scientific Council, and the construction of an important experimental station for space telecommunications in Spino d'Adda, near Milan.

The Sirius enterprise achieved results of great importance for the design of satellite communication systems in new frequency ranges, today widely used in telecommunication systems and satellite television broadcasting, and the development of new satellites and space research programs (ltalsat program). The importance of his contributions in the field of space telecommunications is witnessed by his appointment as President of the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA), a position he held from 1990 to 1993.

His attention to the general problems of telecommunications, systems, services and new technologies was constant, maintaining active connections with the field of industrial research and development and covering the position of President of the CSELT (Centro Studi e Laboratori Telecomunicazioni) and ITALTEL for several years. His participation in the development of the Politecnico di Milano was fundamental and his work was not limited to prestigious scientific activity and institutional didactic tasks. He led the University as Rector from 1969 to 1972, working particularly for the development and enhancement of research and training activities, and contributing to the establishment of the degree course in Telecommunications Engineering and the birth of CEFRIEL (Center for research and training in information technologies). The important role played in the scientific and technical world, not only in Italy, is testified by its presence in numerous associations and academies. He was President of the European Society for the Training of Engineers in 1979, President of the AEI (Italian Electrotechnical and Electronics Association) and of the International Institute of Communications (IIC, Genoa). He was a Fellow Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), a member of the Lombard Academy of Sciences and Letters, of the Turin Academy of Sciences and of the National Academy of Sciences known as the XL.

The quality of his work is highlighted by prestigious national and international awards. In 1971 he received the International Communications Award (ITC); in 1972 the Gold Medal for the meritorious of culture, school and art; in 1974 the Marconi National Award; in 1978 the AEI Award for the best publication; in 1983 the 9th Marconi International Fellowship; in 1989 the Italgas Award for Communications; in 1992 the IEEE Award in International Communication.