Born in Rome on April 29, 1974, Villadei is a Italian Air Force colonel pilot. He graduated from the Italian Air Force Academy in Pozzuoli. He earned a degree as the first Italian Air Force aerospace engineer at the University of Naples "Federico II." He participated in the suborbital flight "Galactic 01" by Virgin Galactic, the company's first commercial spaceflight. Following an agreement between Axiom Space and the Italian Ministry for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition, Walter Villadei was designated as a reserve crew member for the Axiom Mission 2. Subsequently, he was assigned as a pilot for Axiom Mission 3, launched on January 18, 2024.
